TAXONOMIC NOTES ON THE MITROMORPHA 
GROUP OF THE FAMILY TURRIDAE 
(MOLLUSCA : GASTROPODA : BORSONIINAE) 
W. O. CERNOHORSKY 
AUCKLAND INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM 
Abstract. The genus Mitromorpha Carpenter is divided in the subgenera 
Lovellona Iredale, Mitrolumna Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Bouge, and Anarithma 
Iredale. Some Indo-Pacific species of the Anarithma group are elucidated on the 
basis of their type specimens. 
Early authors usually assigned species of the Mitromorpha — Mitrolumna group 
to either the Columbellidae or Mitridae, and the majority of Anarithma species were 
described in the genus Columbella on the basis of the “V”-shaped groove on the 
columella which closely resembles the “split tooth” of some species of Columbellidae. 
Thiele (1924) was the first author who examined the radula of Mitra lachryma Reeve, 
1845 [ = Mitromorpha (Anarithma) metula (Hinds, 1843)]. He excluded the species 
from the Mitridae and the Columbellidae and relocated it in the subfamily 
Mangeliinae, family Turridae. He also remarked on the close similarity of the radula 
of Mitromorpha filosa (Carpenter, 1864) to the radula of Anarithma. Thiele’s paper 
appears to have been overlooked by subsequent authors and Powell (1966) continued 
the placement of Anarithma in the Columbellidae. Orr (1959), who examined the 
radula of Lovellona atramentosa (Reeve, 1849), found it to be closely similar to 
Mitromorpha filosa (Carpenter), and re-located Lovellona Iredale, in the Turridae. 
Two recently published papers (Kilburn 1986 and Drivas & Jay 1986) deal with 
some species of the Mitromorpha group from South Africa and Reunion Island. 
Family TURRIDAE 
Subfamily Borsoniinae Bellardi, 1875 
(Synonyms: Diptychomitrinae Bellardi, 1889 (nomen oblitum); Mitromorphinae Casey, 1904 
[May]; Mitrolumninae Sacco, 1904 [August]. 
The assignment of the Mitromorpha — Mitrolumna group of species tothe 
Borsoniinae by Powell 91966) and Kilburn (1986) appears to be an appropriate 
placement and a suppression of the forgotten family group Diptychomitrinae 
Bellardi, would thus become unnecessary. 
Rec. Auckland Inst. Mus.25: 63-73 19 December 1988 
