Tuesday, September 3, 2024

[Mollusca • 2024] Haliotis pirimoanaHaliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791 and A New Abalone (Gastropoda: Haliotidae) from Aotearoa New Zealand


Haliotis pirimoana 
Walton, Marshall, Rawlence & Spencer, 2024

 
ABSTRACT
Several subspecies and forms of Haliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791 have been recognised, with intergrading variants between many of them. Published genetic data recovered none of the named subspecies as both monophyletic and significantly divergent from one another. Conversely, specimens previously referred to H. virginea from Manawatāwhi Three Kings Islands formed a strongly supported, highly divergent, monophyletic clade, herein described as Haliotis pirimoana n. sp. This species differs subtly but consistently in having finer and more numerous spiral threads than H. virginea at an equivalent stage of growth. Haliotis crispata A. Gould,1847, H. gibba R.A. Philippi, 1846, H. huttoni Filhol, 1880, H. virginea morioria A.W.B. Powell, 1938, and H. virginea stewartae M. Jones & B. Owen, 2004 are interpreted as synonyms of H. virginea. Neotypes are designated for H. crispata and H. huttoni. 

KEYWORDS: Manawatāwhi, Paua, Pāua, systematics, taxonomy, Three Kings Islands, Vetigastropoda

Shells of Haliotis pirimoana n. sp. from Manawatāwhi Three Kings Islands (A–D) and H. virginea Gmelin, 1791 (E–G).
A, Holotype, South East Bay, Great Island, M.333915; B, SW corner of South East Bay, Great Island, M.337867; C, E corner of North West Bay, Great Island, M.059511; D, South East Bay, Great Island, M.134648;
E, Two Thumb Bay, N of Caswell Sound entrance, south-western South Island, M.144345; F, Northeast Harbour, Campbell Island, M.301663; G, Motuhora Island, Bay of Plenty, M.036228.
Scale bar 5 mm (A–C) and 0.5 mm (D–G). Images generated by Jean-Claude Stahl (Te Papa).

Systematics: 
Subclass Vetigastropoda Salvini-Plawen, 1980
Order Lepetellida Moskalev, 1971

Superfamily Haliotoidea Rafinesque, 1815
Family Haliotidae Rafinesque, 1815

Genus Haliotis Linnaeus, 1758

Haliotis Linnaeus, 1758: 779. 
Type species (by subsequent designation of Montfort 1808–1810: 119): Haliotis asinina Linnaeus, 1758: 780, extant, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Subgenus Paua C.A. Fleming, 1952: 230. 
Type species (by original designation): Haliotis iris Gmelin, 1791: 3691; extant, New Zealand.

Haliotis (Paua) pirimoana n. sp.

Etymology: The epithet pirimoana (a noun in apposition) stems from the te reo Māori words ‘piri’ (to cling to) and ‘moana’ (the sea), and was suggested by Sheridan Waitai with support from Jerry Norman, both of Ngāti Kuri. Ngāti Kuri are Mana i te whenua for the area of Manawatāwhi and surrounding lands and waters.



Kerry Walton, Bruce A. Marshall, Nicolas J. Rawlence and Hamish G. Spencer. 2024. Haliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791 and A New Abalone from Aotearoa New Zealand (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Haliotidae). Molluscan Research.  DOI: doi.org/10.1080/13235818.2024.2390476 
  www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/new-species-of-paua-found