© The Author, 2017. Journal compilation © Australian Museum, Sydney, 2017 
Records of the Australian Museum (2017) Vol. 69, issue number 3, pp. 119-222. 
ISSN 0067-1975 (print), ISSN 2201-4349 (online) 
https://doi.Org/10.3853/j.2201-4349.69.2017.1666 
Evolution of Janthina and Recluzia 
(Mollusca: Gastropoda: Epitoniidae) 
A. G. Beu 
Paleontology Department, GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand 5040 
a.beu@gns.cri.nz 
Abstract. Fossil and living neustonic gastropods referred previously to Janthinidae are revised and 
included in Epitoniidae. Species recognized in Janthina Roding, 1798 (= lodes , Iodina and Amethistina 
Morch, 1860, Hartungia Bronn, 1861, Heligmope Tate, 1893, Violetta Iredale, 1929, Parajanthina 
Tomida & Itoigawa, 1982, and Kaneconcha Kaim, Tucholke & Waren, 2012) are J. typica (Bronn), 
Messinian-early Piacenzian (latest Miocene-early late Pliocene), c. 7-3.0 Ma (New Zealand, southern 
Australia, Japan, Morocco, dredged off Brazil, Madeira, Gran Canaria I., Selvagem Grande I., and 
Santa Maria I., Azores); J. krejcii sp. nov., Zanclean (early Pliocene), c. 4.8^1.3 Ma (Santa Maria I.); J. 
chavani (Ludbrook), late Piacenzian-early Calabrian (latest Pliocene-early Pleistocene), 3.0-c. 1.7 Ma 
or later (New Zealand, southern Australia, Japan, mid-Atlantic ridge); J. globosa Swainson, living, and 
two late Pliocene-early Pleistocene records (Jamaica, Philippines); and J. exigua Lamarck, J. janthina 
(Linnaeus), J. pallida Thompson, and J. umbilicata d’Orbigny, all Holocene only. Janthina evolved from 
a benthic epitoniid resembling Alora during Messinian (late Miocene) time, and feeds mainly on colonial 
cnidarians ( Physalia , Velella , Porpita ). The extinction of Janthina typica and origination of J. chavani at 
3.0 Ma (end of the Pliocene climatic optimum) potentially is useful for world Pliocene correlation. The 
two Recluzia species, R.johnii (Holten) and R. lutea (Bennett), feed on floating Minyadidae anemones. 
Recluzia has no fossil record and evolved independently during Holocene time from a benthic epitoniid 
resembling Alexania and Surrepifungium. Adaptation to a neustonic habit evolved twice in Epitoniidae. 
Twenty-two neotypes and six lectotypes are designated. 
Keywords. Biostratigraphy; cosmopolitan; fossil record; neustonic gastropods; Pleistocene; Pliocene; 
phylogeny 
Beu, A. G. 2017. Evolution of Janthina and Recluzia (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Epitoniidae). Records of the Australian 
Museum 69(3): 119-222. https://doi.Org/10.3853/j.2201-4349.69.2017.1666 
A. G. Beu 0 orcid.org/0000-0002-1959-6938 
