AUTHOR=Zhang Shuqian , Fraussen Koen , Zhang Suping 

TITLE=Two new species of the genus Amiantofusus (Gastropoda: Fasciolariidae) from seamounts in the tropical western Pacific, with remarks on the taxonomy of A. candoris and A. sebalis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1009707

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.1009707

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>During two scientific expeditions to the seamounts near the Mariana Trench in the tropical western Pacific, two undescribed gastropod species belonging to the genus <italic>Amiantofusus</italic> Fraussen et al., 2007 were collected from the upper bathyal zone. In the present study, we describe and illustrate them as new species. <italic>Amiantofusus granulus</italic> sp. nov. was collected from Magellan and Caroline Seamounts at depths of 1357–1473 m, and <italic>Amiantofusus tchangsii</italic> sp. nov. was discovered from Caroline Seamounts at depths of 1893–2291 m. The new species are distinguished from each other and congeners by shell morphology. Phylogenetic analyses based on the cytochrome oxidase <italic>c</italic> subunit I (COI) gene using Bayesian inference indicate that <italic>Amiantofusus granulus</italic> sp. nov. is a sister group to other congeners, and <italic>Amiantofusus tchangsii</italic> sp. nov. shows a close relationship with <italic>Amiantofusus</italic> sp. JQ950210 from the Philippines. The results provide additional support for the assignment of the new species to the genus <italic>Amiantofusus</italic> and their separation from congeners. In addition, our molecular analysis reveals that <italic>Amiantofusus candoris</italic> Fraussen et al., 2007 and <italic>Amiantofusus sebalis</italic> Fraussen et al., 2007 have almost identical COI sequences. Their taxonomic relationship is briefly discussed, and it is concluded that <italic>A. candoris</italic> should be regarded as a junior synonym of <italic>A. sebalis</italic>.</p>