Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Original Description
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“Calliostoma (Maurea) eminens Marshall, new species

(Figures 49, 50)

Description: Shell up to 51 mm high, higher than broad, spire up to 1.68 × higher than aperture, stout, weakly cyrtoconoid, spire angle 62-66°, suture deep, anomphalous. Colour yellowish brown, spiral cords reddish brown, nodules white, basal spirals alternately spotted reddish brown and white. Parietal and inner lips porcellaneous white. Protoconch unknown (etched). Teleoconch of up to at least 8.5 convex whorls, earliest whorls unknown (eroded—whorl numbers estimated). First 5 whorls rather evenly convex, subsequent whorls flattened adapically, periphery rounded, base weakly convex. After 5th whorl, zone between suture and P1 steepens until almost vertical, channeling suture. Sculpture consisting of strong, rounded spiral cords and weaker axial costae, axials weakening and vanishing on 4th whorl. Spiral cords numbering 6 or (usually) 7 on adult penultimate whorl, comprising P1-P4 plus intercalating secondaries that commence after 1st 4-4.5 whorls, additional tertiaries intercalate on last adult whorl, 7-10 cords on base. First 3 whorls inserted against P4, subsequent whorls descending and inserted between P4 and outermost basal spiral. Spire spirals with rounded nodules, those on P1 strongest, nodules finer and more numerous on abapical half of each whorl, basal spirals undulant. Fine collabral growth lines throughout, some specimens with fine spiral lirae in some spiral interspaces. Aperture ovate. Outer lip thin at rim, thickened within, parietal and inner lips a continuous spreading glaze.

Type Data: Holotype M. 84112 (height 50.8 mm, width 45.0 mm, 8 teleoconch whorls) and paratype MNZ, N side of Archway I., Antipodes Is., alive on sloping rock, 13-15 m, 29 November 1978, scuba, D.S. Horning. Paratypes (18): A728, 49°38.4'S, 178°48.7'E, off Antipodes Is., dead, 95 m, 7 November 1962, m.v. Taranui (1 NZOI); 49°40'S, 178'53'E, off Antipodes Is., dead, 103 m, USNS Eltanin stn 1850 (9 USNM, 3 MNZ); A739, 49°40.19'S, 178°44.3'E, off Antipodes Is., dead, 113 m, 9 November 1962, m.v. Taranui (1 NZOI); A 723, 49°42'S, 178°50.3'E, off Antipodes Is., dead, 123 m, 7 November 1962, m.v. Taranui (4 NZOI); E side Perpendicular Head, Antipodes Is., under large boulder, alive, 19 m, 27 November 1978, scuba, D.S. Horning (1 MNZ); S side Ringdove Bay, Antipodes Is., on rocks, alive, 18-20 m, 21 November 1978, scuba, D.S. Horning (2 MNZ).

Distribution (figure 50): Off Antipodes Islands, 13-123 m, taken alive at 13-20 m from hard substrata. Probably endemic.

Diet: Guts contain mostly thecate hydroids (Cnidaria) and some indeterminate organic matter.

Remarks: Calliostoma eminens differs from its allopatric relatives C. spectabile and C. foveauxanum in having more strongly convex whorls and in that the suture is set lower on each whorl and is thus correspondingly deeper and the whorls correspondingly more strongly convex. It differs further from C. spectabile in being more lightly built and from C. foveauxanum in its stronger basal sculpture.

Etymology: High (Latin).”

(Marshall, 1995: 100-102)