Pupa charlesi Valdés & Feliciano & Malaquias 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Valdés, Ángel
name: Feliciano, Kendall
name: Malaquias, Manuel A. E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Cephalaspidea
Acteonidae
Pupa
Pupa charlesi

description: Pupa charlesi sp. nov.
(Figs 2G, 4F, 5F, 6F, 7F, 8F, 16C–E)
Type material. Holotype, Plateau Karembé, north end, Koumac, New Caledonia (20°37.6′S, 164°17.3′E), 0 m depth [Koumac 2.1 stn. KM301, coral blocks, sand, mud], 8 Sep 2018, 20 mm long (shell) (MNHN IM-2013-86159, isolate KF63).
Material examined. Plateau Karembé, north end, Koumac, New Caledonia (20°37.6′S, 164°17.3′E), 0 m depth [Koumac 2.1 stn. KM301, coral blocks, sand, mud], 8 Sep 2018, 1 specimen 22 mm long (shell) (MNHN IM-2013- 86158, isolate KF62). Plateau Karembé, north end barrier, Koumac, New Caledonia (20°37.6′S, 164°17.3′E), 0 m depth [Koumac 2.1 stn. KM321, reef flat with living/dead coral, seagrass], 26 Sep 2018, 1 specimen 18 mm long (shell) (MNHN IM-2013-86154, isolate KF69).
External morphology. Body oval, about the same width throughout (Fig. 2G). Cephalic shield notched along entire length longitudinally, with two elongate posterior extensions covering anterior end of shell. Foot extending beyond cephalic shield laterally. Body color translucent white, with opaque white dots scattered all over dorsal surface of cephalic shield, foot. Shell delicate, narrow, elongate, widest at 2/3 from anterior end (Figs. 16C–E). Sides convex, rounded to elongate anterior end. Body whorl large, about 1/8 of total length. Spire short, conical, with 5 whorls. Suture channeled. Aperture elongate, wider anteriorly, narrowing gradually towards posterior end, ending at 1/7 of the posterior end of first whorl. Columellar margin thickened, slightly oblique, with single large, channeled anterior fold starting at anterior end of aperture. Apex of all specimens examined damaged, protoconch not observed. Sculpture composed of numerous punctuated spiral grooves. Punctuations conspicuous, irregular, oval, situated next to each other, fused together, within each groove. Grooves separated by gaps much wider than grooves. Shell color white to pale orange, checkered with dark grey to black, square to oval patches, situated on gaps between punctuated spiral grooves all over shell. Two bands on body whorl with smaller patches. Posterior whorls white with no dark patches. Punctuated spiral grooves often edged in orange. Operculum translucent to ochre, elongate, with faint longitudinal striations (Fig. 4F).
Internal morphology. Reproductive system with large, elongate penis (Fig. 5F), otherwise indistinct. Digestive system with elongate buccal mass (Fig. 6F). Oral tube conical, connected to long, curved buccal bulb. Salivary glands, esophagus, connected on proximal end of buccal bulb. Radular formula 121 × 6.0. 6 in an 18 mm long specimen (MNHN IM- 2013-86154). Lateral teeth similar in shape, increasing in size gradually towards outer edge (Fig. 7F). Teeth triangular, with broad base; elongate, curved, sharp cusp; 4–7 denticles similar to cusp in shape, shorter. Jaws with short, wide elements, bearing 8–10 finger-like projections apically (Fig. 8F).
Etymology. This species is named in honor of Laurent Charles (MHNBx), a photographer during the Koumac 2.1 expedition who contributed excellent photographs of live specimens of Pupa as well as type material photographs and data.
Geographic range. Possibly endemic to New Caledonia (present study).
Remarks. Pupa charlesi sp. nov. was recovered as a distinct clade in the phylogenetic analyses and as a distinct species in the species delimitation analysis. Pupa charlesi sp. nov. is externally very similar to Pupa coccinata but the shells are thinner and wider anteriorly, and the orange spots are typically further apart and less defined. These two species also differ in radular morphology, with P. charlesi sp. nov. having a 121 × 6.0.6 radular formula in an 18 mm long specimen and P. coccinata 112 × 5.0. 5 in a 20 mm long specimen; the teeth of P. charlesi new species are much wider than those of P. coccinata and have more denticles, similar in size to the cusps.
A review of the literature has revealed no available names with a description matching that of Pupa charlesi sp. nov., and therefore it is here described as a new species.
description: Published as part of Valdés, Ángel, Feliciano, Kendall & Malaquias, Manuel A. E., 2023, The genus Pupa Röding, 1798 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Acteonidae) in New Caledonia with notes on Recent species, pp. 471-506 in Zootaxa 5270 (3) on pages 498-499, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5270.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7860353