R. Houart, S. Gori & P. Ryall 
NOVAPEX 12(3-4): 91-97, 10 octobre 2011 
New record of Typhinellus labiatus (Cristofori & Jan, 1832) (Gastropoda: 
Muricidae) from Sâo Tomé and Principe and discussion about its 
classification and geographical distribution 
Roland HOUART 
Research Associate 
Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique 
Rue Vautier, 29, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium 
roland.houart@skynet.be 
Sandro GORI 
Via Semesi, 7 
57123 Livomo, Italy 
sandrogori@fastwebnet.it 
Peter RYALL 
St Ulrich 16 
A-9161 Maria Rain, Austria 
peterryalll @hotmail.com 
KEY WORDS. Gulf of Guinea, Sâo Tomé and Principe, biogeography, Muricidae, Typhinae. 
ABSTRACT. The natural history of the islands of Sào Tomé and Principe is briefly discussed and a 
new record of a large typhine from Sao Tomé and Principe is commented. The examined specimens 
belongs to Typhinellus and are compared with the type species T. Icihiütus (Cristotori & Jan, 1832), 
occasionally better known as T sowerbii (Sowerby, 1833), a junior synonym. A list of the Muricidae 
collected in these islands is given in the appendix. 
INTRODUCTION 
Sào Tomé and Principe Islands are a group of small 
islands, relict of an ancient volcanic mountain range 
situated otfthe west African coast. They consists of two 
principal islands, Sào Tomé and Principe. They lie 
along a magmatic geological feature known as the 
Guinea line which is a flaw in the African tectonic 
plate more or less 1500 kms long that lias served as a 
channel for magmas for million ot years. The Guinea 
line extends across the océan continent and magmatic 
extrusions up through it hâve given lise to majoi 
oceanic and continental relief extending from 
Southwest to northeast, including the islands ot 
Annobon, Sào Tomé, Principe and Bioko and the 
mainland features of Mount Cameroon, the Cameroon 
highlands and the Jos plateau of Nigeria (Drewes & 
Wilkinson, 2004). 
The islands of Annobon, Sào Tomé and Principe 
are long known for the high level of endemism in theii 
biota and some taxa are shared in the latter two. The 
three islands are separated from each other and from 
the West African coast by océan depth up to 3000 m. 
Principe islands is geologically the oldest. Sao Tome 
being the largest with 850 square kilometers is situated 
on the equator line, south of Principe island and with 
other small islets (Ilheu das Cabras, Ilheu Santana, 
Sete Pedras, Ilheu das Rolas, Uheus Gabado/San 
Miguel and Ilheu Coco near Sâo Tomé; Ilheu Tmhosa 
grande, Ilheu Tinhosa pequena, Ilheu Bone de Joquei, 
Pedra Gale and Ilheu dos Mosteiros near Principe). 
Sâo Tomé, Principe and the small islets fonn the 
Republic of Sâo Tomé and Principe. 
One of the junior authors (SG) has travelled several 
times to both Islands, collecting eight times in Sào 
Tomé and twice in Principe. Collecting has been in 
various habitats and with different methods (scuba 
diving, using tangle nets or washing dead corals and 
small stones) both by day and night producing a 
sampling from 5 to 40 m depth. 
Previous research has been conducted by a number 
of earlier collectors as summarized by Fernandes & 
Rolân (1993) who themselves collected extensively in 
the islands primarily by snorkelling. Other recent 
works concerning muricids from the islands include 
Fernandes & Rolân (1990), Rolân & Fernandes (1991), 
Houart & Rolân (2001). Thanks to the introduction of 
scuba facilities in the area it was also possible more 
recently to explore the rocky coastlines more 
intimately and other new species of Muricidae hâve 
been described : Houart (2005), Rolân & Gori (2007), 
Houart & Gori (2008). 
Among the various muricids collected in both 
Islands (see appendix), a large typhine has led to a 
careful and refined examination. 
Typhinae species hâve a small size, rarely exceeding 
40 mm in height, and hâve the particularity to grow 
hollow tubes (Fig. 1) situated between each pair of 
varices. These anal tubes are gradually closed and 
broken during the growth of the shell, only the last tube 
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