A new large tellinid species of the genus Pharaonella from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan (Mollusca, Bivalvia)

By

Kato, Makoto
Yamamori, Luna
Goto, Ryutaro
Tsubaki, Remi
Ohsuga, Ken

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2017

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

705

Pages

1-13

Subjects

Amami Island , bivalve , coral reef ecosystem , sand flat , Tellinidae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.705.12888

 

Abstract

A new tellinid species, Pharaonella amanyu sp. n., is described from sand banks around Amami Islands, the Ryukyu Archipelago, in southern Japan. A molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests that this new species is closely related to P. sieboldii. This species has long siphons and lives buried deep in well-sorted white sand syntopically with Tonganaella tongana. These rare, large tellinid species are indicators of unspoiled tidal/subtidal sand flats, which should receive the highest priority conservation in the Ryukyu Archipelago.