R. Houart, S. Gori & P. Ryall 
New record of Typhinellus labiatus 
remains open and can be long to very long when intact 
(Fig. 17). 
The situation of these tubes compared to the axial 
varices is used among other things as a tool for their 
generic classification. These tubes may be either 
situated half way between the varices or nearest to 
preceeding or succeeding varix, or even originate from 
the varix itself. The shell of Typhinae also has a sealed 
siphonal canal, four or very rarely five varices per 
whorl and, in some généra, a partition (Fig. 1), which is 
a lamellar outgrowth, or erect plate, joining the last 
varix of the whorl with the previous one. The edge of 
the aperture is erect and forms an entire peristome. 
The examined protoconchs of ail the Recent species are 
paucispiral, consisting of 1.5 to 2 whorls. 
Abbreviations 
JLD: Coll. Jean-Louis Delemarre - P: Principe - PR: 
Coll. Peter Ryall - RFI: Coll. Roland Houart - SG: Coll. 
Sandro Gori - ST: Sâo Tomé - lv: live-taken specimen 
- dd: empty shell. 
Descriptions of spiral sculpture use the terminology 
introduced by Merle (1999, 2001): 
P - Primary cord; PI - Shoulder cord; P2-P6 - Primary 
cords of the convex part of the teleoconch whorl. 
SYSTEMATICS 
Family TYPHINAE Cossmann, 1903 
Genus Typhinellus Jousseaume, 1880 
Type species by original désignation: Typhis sowerbii 
Broderip, 1833 = Murex labiatus Cristofori & Jan, 
1832, Mediterranean, East Atlantic 
The shells belonging to Typhinellus are characterized in 
having a partition. There are four flange-like, frilled 
varices, constricted above the aperture and flaring at its 
abapical end; the varical flange of the last teleoconch 
whorl extends to almost the tip of the siphonal canal. 
The anal tube does not originate from the varix but is 
situated near the preceeding varix, and adpressed to the 
preceeding partition. 
Typhinellus labiatus (Cristofori & Jan, 1832) 
Figs 1-29 
Murex fistulatus Risso, 1826 (not Muricites fistulatus 
Schlotheim, 1820). 
Murex labiatus Cristofori & Jan, 1832 
Typhis sowerbii Broderip, 1833 
Murex tetrapterus Bronn, 1838 
Murex syphonellus Bonelli in Bellardi & Michelloti, 
1841 
Typhis (Typhinellus) tetrapterus var. protetrapterus 
Sacco, 1890 
Typhis sowerbyi var. fulva Pallary, 1906 
Typhis sowerbyi var. minor Pallary, 1906 
Typhis (Cephonochelus) recens Nordsieck, 1972 
Typhis sowerbyi elongatus Settepassi, 1977 
Material examined from Sâo Tomé and Principe 
Sâo Tome. In fine sand and silt, 6 m, 1 lv (PR) (Figs 
11-14); Ubabudu Reef, NE Sào Tomé, 00°15'804" N, 
06°45'569" E, 20 m, 1 dd (PR); Lagoa Azul, NW Sào 
Tomé, 1 lv (SG) (Figs 6-7); Lagoa Azul, NW Sào 
Tomé, 10-14 m, 1 lv (SG); Lagoa Azul, NW Sào Tomé, 
15 m, 1 lv (SG) 
Principe. Bahia das Agulhas, 01°36'06" N, 07°20'55" 
E, 15 m, 1 lv (SG) (Figs 9-10); Praia Evora, San 
Antonio, 01°38’24" N, 07°26'34" E, 7 m, on muddy 
sand, 1 dd (SG). 
DISCUSSION 
Keen (1944: 56) regarded Murex labiatus as a 
possible species dubium (sic) because Bellardi (1873) 
had earlier placed Murex labiatus in the synonymy of 
M. fistulosus Brocchi, 1814. Her decision was tentative 
because she had not seen a copy of their work and later 
Gertman (1969: 156) considered it was best to follow 
Keen's suggestion and consider Murex labiatus as a 
nomen dubium. However, the lectotype of Murex 
labiatus was figured afterwards by Pinna ( 1971 : pl. 76, 
fig. 12) and by Pinna & Spezia (1978: pl. 35, fig. 1). 
Typhis labiatus was described from the Pliocène of 
Castell'Arquato and is undoubtedly conspecific with the 
Recent Typhinellus sowerbii. A Pliocène specimen 
from Castell'Arquato is here illustrated for comparison 
(Figs 23-24). Typhinellus labiatus was also commented 
and illustrated by Houart (2001 ). 
There are no stable différences observed between 
the Mediterranean shells and the specimens collected in 
Sào Tomé and Principe. The specimens from West 
Africa are larger, occasionally almost twice as big as the 
Mediterranean shell but also with at least one additional 
teleoconch whorl. The spire looks also to be lower but 
we could not yet examine a specimen from Sao Tomé 
or Principe with an intact apex, ail of them having the 
first whorls eroded, so that : 
1. The spire could be as high than in T. labiatus from 
the Mediterranean if we add the protoconch and 
teleoconch whorls 1 and 2. 
2. We don't know exactly the number of teleoconch 
whorls in the specimens from Sâo Tomé and Principe, 
although the larger ones probably has 6 or 6.5 
teleoconch whorls vs 4.5 or 5.5 in the examined 
Mediterranean specimens; as a reminder also, one of 
the syntypes of Typhis sowerbii is a large specimen of 
24.5 mm (Fig. 2). 
The axial sculpture consists of 4 rounded varices 
with a shaip lamellae, ending with a short, strongly 
recurved spine at shoulder. The anal tube is strongly 
backward recurved, forming an angle of approximately 
65-85° with the axis of the shell. The last anal tube 
(when intact) is long and hollow, the others are 
gradually shorter and closed. They are strongly 
adpressed to the preceding partition. The spiral 
sculpture consists of low cords, more apparent on the 
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