REUNION I MOLLUSCA 79 
Nassarius (Zeuxis) reunionensis sp. n. (Figs. 7-12) 
Shell moderately small, up to 23.2 mm in length (adult specimens range from 
18.5-23.3 mm), elongate-ovate, width 47%-53% of length, light in weight, teleoconch 
of 64-714 convex whorls, protoconch of 2!4-2% translucent-white embryonic whorls, 
last turn of protoconch with a fine carina. Early spire whorls angulate and sculptured 
with angulate axial ribs and a double row of sutural nodules, sutures distinct but not 
canaliculate; later whorls with less angulate axial ribs which number from 21-36 on the 
penultimate and from 21-40 on the body whorl, axials thinner and more crowded 
towards the back of the outer lip. Spiral sculpture consists of a double row of sutural 
nodules separated by a shallow concave trough, followed by spiral striae which are 
mostly confined to the interspaces of axial ribs on the penultimate whorl but reach the 
summits of the axial ribs on the body whorl; spiral striae number from 5-9 on the 
penultimate and from 11-16 on the body whorl, last 5 anterior spiral striae wide- 
spaced, siphonal fasciole with 4-7 oblique cords. Aperture moderately wide, equal in 
height or slightly shorter than the spire, height 45%-50% of length, outer lip with 5-10 
denticles which extend as short lirae into the aperture, anterior edge of outer lip with 
a few blunt denticles. Columella calloused and with 2-12 short denticles, parietal 
denticle prominent, siphonal notch distinct. White to cream in colour, spire whorls 
with 2 narrow orange-brown spiral bands, body whorl with 2 broad orange-brown 
bands, aperture porcellaneous-white. Operculum corneous, elongate-ovate and 
serrate On margins. 
Radula typically nassarine, odontophore 4.6 — 5.1 mm in length, numbering 59 
or 61 rows of teeth + 3 nascentes. Rachidian with 12-13 denticles, laterals simple and 
bicuspid (Fig. 12). 
TYPE LOCALITY. St.CP129, Reunion I, Indian Ocean, 20°51’S & 55°36’E, 290-300m. 
Holotype. Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (no number), length 20.2 
mm, width 9.5 mm, height of aperture 9.6 mm (Figs. 7,8). 
Paratypes. St.CP129, 20°S1’S & 55°36’E, 290-300 m (32) [type locality]; St.70, 
21°23°01"S & 55°29°03”E, 700-730 m (1); St.88, 55-60 m (7); St.CP130, 20°51’S & 
55°37°E, 300-380 m (2); St.DC27, 21°22’S & 55°47°E, 290-310 m (1); St.DC128, 
20°51’S & 55°36’E, 280-340 m (16); St.DC176, 21°02’S & S55°11’E, 165-195 m (1); 
St.DR47, 21°23’S & 55°37’E, 205-215 m (1); St.DS131, 20°51’S & 55°37’E, 345-375 
m (5); Baie de la Possession, Reunion I, 140 m, in shrimp pots (2). Paratypes in the 
Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, the Auckland Institute and Museum 
and coll. O.K. McCausland, San Francisco, California. Total of 69 specimens 
examined. 
The species is superficially similar to Nassarius (Zeuxis) crematus (Hinds,1844), 
but this species has a more nodulose spiral sculpture, lacks the double row of sutural 
nodules and intervening concave trough, has a wrinkled columella and more 
numerous, i.e. 3-3'4embryonic whorls. One other species which has a double row of 
sutural nodules separated by aconcave trough is N, (Z.) protrusidens (Melvill, 1918). 
This species also has a similar-sized protoconch but the shell is very solid, the spire 
long and aperture short and narrow, with fewer denticles on the outer lip, and the 
overall sculpture is distinctly nodulose. N. (Z.) protrusidens is sympatric with N. (Z.) 
reunionensis on Reunion I. 
