R. Houart & S. Gori 
NOVAPEX 12(1-2): 39-45, 10 mars 2011 
Distribution. Oman, north of Muscat and Masirah 
Island. 
Description. Shell medium-sized for the genus, up to 
16.5 mm in height at maturity. Height/width ratio 
1.63-1.93:1. Slender, lanceolate, shoulder weakly 
sloping, weakly concave. 
Greyish-white or tan with lighter colored primary 
spiral cords. Aperture light brown within. 
Spire high with 1.6 protoconch whorls and teleoconch 
up to 5 weakly angular, strongly shouldered whorls. 
Suture impressed, partially obscured by third primary 
spiral cord (P3) of previous whorl. Protoconch small. 
Whorls with a single strong but narrow adapical keel. 
Terminal lip thin, erect, weakly curved. 
Axial sculpture of teleoconch whorls consisting of 
prominent, narrow varices, each with short, scabrous, 
open spinelets decreasing in strength and length 
abapically, connected to each other with scabrous 
flange. Nine varices from first to third teleoconch 
whorl, decreasing to 6-8 on fourth whorl and 4 or 5 on 
last whorl. Spiral sculpture of high, strong, narrow, 
smooth primary cords and occasionally very narrow 
secondary cords. First and second whorls with visible 
PI and P2 or P1-P3. Third and fourth whorls of 
juvénile specimens with PI, P2, s2, P3, P4, P5, P6, 
ADP and MP. Fifth whorl with PI. (si), P2, s2, P3, 
(s3), P4, P5, s5, P6, (s6). ADP, MP, ABP. Shoulder 
ramp smooth except for axial varices. P1-P4 almost 
similar in size and strength, P4 and P5 close to each 
other, P5 weakly narrower, P6 narrower spiral cord, 
almost half the size of P1-P4; ADP and MP broad. 
Primary cords more obvious on adapertural part of 
varices. Secondary cords very narrow, only obvious 
on varices. 
Aperture moderately small, ovate. Columellar lip 
narrow, smooth, rim partially erect at abapical 
extremity, otherwise adhèrent. Anal notch shallow, 
broad. Outer lip weakly erect, weakly crenulated, with 
weak, elongate denticles within: ID, DI or DI split, 
D2 split, D3 split, D4 and D5. 1D very low, DI low, 
D2-D5 increasing in strength abapically. Siphonal 
canal short, 23-29% of total shell height, narrow, 
weakly dorsally recurved at tip, narrowly open, with 2 
or 3 short scabrous spines originating from ADP, MP 
and ABP. ADP broadest. 
Operculum and radula unknown. 
Remarks. Other Favartia s.s. species occur in the 
western Indian Océan, mostly along the East African 
coast, up to Somalia and the Red Sea. The species 
most similar to F. colombi n. sp. are Favartia 
(Favartia) cecalupoi Bozzetti, 1993, F. cyclostoma 
(Sowerby, 1841), F. nucula (Reeve, 1845), F. peasei 
(Tryon, 1880), F. rosamiae D'Attilio & Myers, 1985 
and F. sykesi (Preston, 1904). 
Favartia cecalupoi (Fig. 13) from Somalia differs 
in many respects i.e. the protoconch which consists of 
2 smooth bulbous whorls. The shell is more rounded 
with a broader last teleoconch whorl, the varices are 
lower and the spiral cords are more numerous. F. 
cyclostoma is larger relative to the number of 
teleoconch whorls, the shell is also much broader with 
a rounded paucispiral protoconch of 1.5 whorls. F. 
nucula, F. rosamiae , F. peasei and F. sykesi differ in 
many respects such as breadth and height of the shell, 
axial and spiral sculpture and mainly by having 
different protoconch whorls, small, rounded and 
paucispiral in F. nucula and F. peasei, conical and 
multispiral in F. rosamiae (Figs 14, 32) and F. sykesi. 
Favartia (Pygmaepterys) paulboschi Smythe & 
Flouart, 1984 (Figs 15-16, 28), another Favartia 
species from Oman differs in having a relatively 
narrower shell vs its height, broader and fiat primary 
spiral cords, fewer or absence of secondary cords, 
narrower varices with more adapically recurved 
shoulder spine, and relatively shorter and broader 
siphonal canal. 
Favartia (F.) colombi was also confused with, and 
wrongly identified as F. (P.) yemenensis Houart & 
Wranik, 1989 (Figs 17-18, 29) (Houart, in litt.) which 
also has a keeled protoconch, and therefore was also 
illustrated as Pygmaepterys yemenensis in Bosch et al. 
(1995: 120). However, F. yemenensis differs from F. 
colombi n. sp. in having a more angular and broader 
shell with higher and narrower varices, in having a 
comparatively broader aperture, a longer siphonal 
canal and more numerous secondary spiral cords. 
Favartia (Pygmaepterys) adenensis (Fig. 19) also 
occur in this area but is very different and does not 
need to be compared here. 
Etymology. colombi'. Named after Jacques Colomb 
(Marseille, France) who collected several specimens 
of the new species in Masirah, together with the junior 
author. 
Favartia (Favartia) roseotincta n.sp. 
Figs 7-12, 30 
Type material. Oman, Masirah, Ras Al Ya, 
20°39’504" N, 58°52’138" E, 21 m, on sand, holotype 
MNHN 23205 
Paratypes: 3 RH, 3 SG. 
Distribution. Oman, Masirah Island. 
Description. Shell small for the genus, up to 8.3 mm 
in length at maturity. Height/width ratio 1.66 - 1.86:1, 
biconical, narrow, weakly spinose. Shoulder strongly 
sloping, weakly convex. 
Pinkish white or light pink, occasionally with white 
varices and white siphonal canal. Aperture pink 
within, surrounded with white on columellar lip outer 
rim and outer apertural lip. 
Spire high with 1.5 protoconch whorls and teleoconch 
up to 5 weakly convex, angular, strongly shouldered 
whorls. Suture impressed. Protoconch small, elongate, 
whorls rounded, last whorl strongly elongate. 
Terminal lip eroded. 
41 
