A New Species of Primovula (Gastropoda: Ovulidae) from Japan

Abstract

A new Japanese species of the family Ovulidae is described from the Sumisu Bank near Hachijo-jima Island in the Izu Islands, from Tatsumi-dashi in the Ogasawara Islands, from off Kagoshima Prefecture, and from Okinawa Island. Primovula luna n. sp. most closely resembles Primovula shikamai (Cate, 1973) in overall morphology, but it can be distinguished by a different color pattern on the dorsum, its callous thickened columella, larger, triangular funiculum, narrower aperture, wider and flatter labrum, widely developed columellar peristome and fossula, and non-twisted anterior terminal ridge. Two possible polymorphic forms are also recognized in the present new species.