198 
Records of the Australian Museum (2017) Vol. 69 
Recluzia Petit de la Saussaye, 1853 
Recluzia Petit de la Saussaye, 1853: 117. Type species (by 
subsequent designation, Cossmann, 1925: 159): Recluzia 
jehennei Petit de la Saussaye, 1853 (= Janthina lutea 
Bennett, 1840); Recent, cosmopolitan. 
Remarks. Iredale & McMichael (1962: 49) stated that the 
type species of Recluzia was selected originally by Petit 
de la Saussaye (1853), but Petit de la Saussaye named two 
species of Recluzia without designating a type species. A type 
species was not designated by most subsequent authors, and 
the earliest designation the writer is aware of is by Cossmann 
(1925: 159). However, this is of little consequence, as the 
two species included by Petit de la Saussaye are rendered 
absolute synonyms here. 
The teleoconch of Recluzia is markedly to greatly taller 
and narrower than that of the tallest Janthina species, with 
a smooth, pale brownish-yellow shell (i.e., natural calcite 
colour), lightly polished in some specimens, and bears an 
obvious, slightly darker, thin, smooth periostracum that does 
not occur (or at least, is not obvious) on Janthina species. 
It also has evenly and strongly convex whorls, a deeply 
impressed suture, a straight, simple, acline outer lip without a 
sinus, and no obvious sculpture. The radulae of Janthina and 
Recluzia are indistinguishable. The protoconch (Churchill et 
al ., 2011b: figs 1D-E; Figs 37A-G) also is closely similar 
to that of Janthina and all other planktotrophic Epitoniinae, 
pupiform, with a weakly impressed suture and sculpture 
of fine, low, closely spaced axial ridges on protoconch 2, 
although that of Recluzia lutea (Bennett, 1840) has one fewer 
whorls in protoconch 2 than those of Janthina species (2.2 
whorls in R. lutea , 3.2 whorls in Janthina species). Recluzia 
differs from Janthina also by having simple rather than 
forked cephalic tentacles, no epipodia or purple gland, stylets 
in the inner salivary glands that are lacking in Janthina, adult 
statocysts that are lacking in Janthina , and small juvenile 
post-larval specimens riding on the adult’s shell or float, 
rather than forming a float of their own as in Janthina (Table 
1). Recluzia lutea was also said by Abbott (1968: 92) to 
have yellow egg capsules and brownish mucus bubbles, in 
contrast to the white to slightly purplish, pink or pale blue egg 
capsules and transparent colourless to faintly bluish mucus 
bubbles of all Janthina species. This is confirmed by Tony 
Healy’s and Denis Riek’s photographs of living specimens 
(Figs 6-7); the egg capsules of Recluzia species are a similar 
colour to the shell, whereas the head and foot are a paler, 
brighter yellow than the shell, and the float bubbles have 
a brown tinge. The float bubbles also have a much more 
irregular appearance than those of Janthina species. 
Putative fossil record 
The one sample of fossils the writer is aware of that has 
been identified as a species of Recluzia is in NMB, labelled 
as “? Recluzia rollandiana Petit”. It is from NMB locality 
17516, Cantaure Formation, lower shellbed, 300 m south 
of Casa Cantaure, 10 km west of Pueblo Nuevo, near San 
Jose, central Paraguana Peninsula, northern Venezuela 
(Burdigalian, late early Miocene; six small shells, largest 6.5 
mm high). The fauna from this locality was monographed 
by Jung (1965). However, the “? Recluzia” material is from 
a much larger and more diverse collection than Jung’s, 
gathered subsequently during many visits by Win and Jack 
Gibson-Smith, and recently monographed by Landau et al. 
(2016). The teleoconch of these specimens indeed closely 
resembles that of Recluzia lutea in thinness and shape, its 
lack of sculpture other than faint growth lines, its inner lip 
being narrowly reflected over a very narrow umbilicus, 
and its straight, acline outer lip. However, the protoconch 
is present on two of the smallest shells (Figs 36A, C) and 
is significantly larger, taller, of c. 3.5 whorls, and with a 
more stepped outline than the pupiform one of 2.2 whorls 
in Recluzia lutea (Churchill et al ., 2011b: figs 1D-E; Figs 
37A-G). The Recluzia protoconch has almost flush sutures. 
It also has an almost smooth surface with weak sculpture of 
narrow, shallow, closely spaced axial grooves, but fainter 
spiral sculpture than that of Janthina species. The protoconch 
of the Casa Cantaure fossil has an even smoother surface 
with still weaker axial sculpture than that of Recluzia 
species and no spiral sculpture discernible at all, and has 
a much more deeply impressed suture than the protoconch 
of Recluzia , forming a narrow subsutural platform. These 
specimens evidently belong in Epitoniidae, and probably 
represent a benthic species of Epitoniinae with lecithotrophic 
development. They tentatively were referred to “ Alexania 
aff.jloridanaFilsbry, 1945” by Landau etal. (2016: 102, pi. 
87, figs 1-2). Comparison with the protoconch of present- 
day specimens of Alexania natalensis would help identify 
these specimens. 
Names proposed in Recluzia 
As the species of Recluzia have not been revised previously, 
all names are listed here that the writer is aware of that have 
been referred to Recluzia , with comments on their status 
where necessary. Names are listed in chronological order 
of their proposal. The status of the 13 names that remain 
classified in Recluzia is clarified in the following sections. 
1 Helix johnii Holten (1802: 76) (Jousseaume, 1872: 205; 
Winckworth, 1943: 148); refers to Chemnitz (1795: 
figs 2076-2077), i.e., the earliest reference making the 
non-binominal name Helix johnii Chemnitz available; 
probably northern Indian Ocean, locality unknown. 
Neotype designated below. 
2 Janthina lutea Bennett (1840: 63, 298); taken at sea, 
2°53'S 170°55'E, SW of the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati, 
central western Pacific Ocean. Discussed in detail below, 
with neotype designation. 
3 Janthina turrita “von dem Busch” Philippi (1849: 15); 
no illustration, no locality, no types found; its dimensions 
he in the centre of variation of Recluzia specimens (Fig. 
35, point identified by “T”), and it is assigned to the 
synonymy of the more common species, R. lutea. A 
neotype is designated below. 
4 Recluzia jehennei Petit de la Saussaye (1853: 118, pi. 5, 
fig. 3); Arabian Gulf. Remaining syntype illustrated (Figs 
36F-G). 
5 Recluzia rollandiana Petit de la Saussaye (1853: 119, 
pi. 5, fig. 12); “environs de Mazatlan” [“later identified 
as actually from New Caledonia” (Keen 1971: 903)]. 
Neotype designated below. 
6 Recluzia aperta Jeffreys (1859: 114, pi. 3, figs 22a-c) = 
Torellia vestita Loven ms Jeffreys (1867: 244, pi. 4, fig. 
1); Britain; not Recluzia (Torellia , Family Capulidae). 
7 Recluzia bensoni A. Adams (1861: 402); off Formosa; a 
small, narrow, juvenile Recluzia specimen. Holotype in 
NHMUK. 
