Nuevas especies de la familia Marginellidae (Mollusca: Neogastropoda: Muricoidea) de Venezuela

Abstract

To date, 10 species of the genus Volvarina and one species of the genus Hyalina have been cited in Venezuela, but only 2 of them are certain. In this paper 4 new species of mollusks of the family Marginellidae are described, based on specimens collected from 3 different locations: La Tortuga Island, Morrocoy National Park and Aves Island. Additionally, the records in Venezuela of all the species of both genus and the validity of Caribeginella flormarina, synonymized with Hyalina pallida, are discussed. Illustrations of the living animals for all the species are included, so as new photos of the shell of the Neotype of H. pallida, housed in the Natural History Museum in London. The new species are characterized by: Volvarina morrocoyensis Caballer, Espinosa and Ortea new species; 5 brownish bands in the shell, paired parallel plications, white body with red spots, mantle with black spots grouped in bands. Volvarina monchoi Caballer, Espinosa and Ortea new species; white shell with a brown band, uneven plications, white body without spots. Volvarina avesensis Caballer, Espinosa and Ortea new species; 3 orange bands in the shell, parallel plications, orange body, lacking spots, mantle with dull spots. Hyalina nelsyae new species; 3 dull bands in the shell, posterior plications divergent, anterior plications quasi-parallel, body with reddish spots forming a diamond in the tail, mantle with reddish spots forming 3 bands.