Bull. Mus. nain. Hist. nat.. Paris, 4' sér.

, 11, 1989,
section A, n° 2 : 315-331.

Taxonomy of tropical West African bivalves

I. Four new species of eulamellibranchiate bivalves

by R u d o VON COSEL

Abstract. — New marine eulamellibranchiate bivalves from tropical West Africa are described :
Lucina leloeuffi n. sp. (Lucinidae) from circalittoral muddy bottom, Anodontia subrostrata n. sp.
(Lucinidae) from infralittoral sandy-muddy bottom, Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp. (Solecurtidae),
hitherto confounded with the mediterranean 5. strigilatus, and Dosinia gabonensis n. sp. (Veneridae),
hitherto confounded with the european D. exoleta.
Résumé. — Description d'eulamellibranches nouveaux de l'Afrique Occidentale tropicale : Lucina
leloeuffi n. sp. (Lucinidae) des fonds vaseux circalittoraux, Anodontia subrostrata n. sp. (Lucinidae) des
fonds sablo-vaseux infralittoraux, Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp. (Solecurtidae), jusqu'ici confondu avec
l'espèce méditerranéenne, S. strigilatus, et Dosinia gabonensis n. sp. (Veneridae), jusqu'ici confondue avec
l'espèce européenne D. exoleta.
R. VON COSEL, Marine biologist at ORSTOM, Laboratoire de Biologie des Invertébrés marins et Malacologie,
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 55, rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris.

The marine mollusc fauna of Tropical West Africa is in comparison with those of other
tropical régions still very little k n o w n especially a m o n g the bivalves. This is illustrated by the
fact that between 1950 and 1986, 24 new species of large size have been described. I have been
working on the extensive collection of West African marine bivalves in the Paris M u s é u m
originating from several marine expéditions on research vessels or fishing boats, as well as
from shore collecting, in order to prépare an identification guide. Several species still could not
be identified with known taxa. T h e purpose of this séries of papers is to présent descriptions of
the new taxa, as well as a taxonomical updating of others. T h e présent paper contains the
description of two new lucinids, one solecurtid a n d one venerid.

Family LUCINIDAE

Lucina leloeuffi n. sp.

TYPE MATERIAL : Holotype MNHN, 55,3 x 46,4 mm, off Cap des Palmes, E-Liberia, 250 m, dredged,
grey mud with fine sand and shell débris, a left v., leg. LE LOEUFF, 13.X.1971. Paratypes : same locality, 2
left v., 54,3 x 46,6 mm; 56,5 x 45,0 mm, MNHN.

TYPE LOCALITY : Cap des Palmes, E-Liberia, approximately 4° 10' N/7°40' W.

 — 316 —

DESCRIPTION

Shell medium-sized, solid, more or less compressed, subcircular, longer than high (length-
width ratio 1,2 : 1), inequilateral. Beaks situated at or just behind the anterior third of the
valve. Valves anteriorly conspicuously pointed, posteriorly b r o a d , rounded a n d at the end
truncated a n d concave where the b r o a d a n d well developed radial ridge on the posterior slope
reaches the margin. Ligament narrow, extending over the middle third of the valve. Lunule
small but well m a r k e d .
Outside with 10-15 conspicuous, prominent, thin, raised a n d widely spaced concentric
lamellae : 15 in the holotype, 10 a n d 14 in the paratypes. Interspaces smooth, with concentric
growth markings. Ventral extension of anterior a d d u c t o r scar very small a n d separated from
the palliai line. Hinge typically lucinid, with two small cardinals a n d two well developed
laterals in the left valve. Ventral margin of the studied spécimens not visibly crenulated.
Colour of valves dull white, concentrically m a r k e d with light grey. Periostracum thin,
light brownish, peeling off over the largest part of the valve.
DISTRIBUTION : At the border between Liberia and Ivory Coast, only known from the type locality.
MATERIAL EXAMINED : The type material.
BIOTOPE : Unknown, most probably mud in deeper water around 200-300 m.
DERIVATIO NOMINIS : This species is named after my colleague P. LELOEUFF, who dredged extensively
off the Ivory Coast and who collected the type material.

REMARKS

This new lucinid resembles L. reyrei (Nicklès, 1955), which has a similar outline a n d
prominent a n d widely-spaced lamellae, but only reaches one fourth of the size of L. leloeuffi.
L. reyrei c a n n o t however, be a juvénile of the new species because it h a s 12-15 concentric
lamellae already at a size of 10-12 m m , whereas juvéniles of L. leloeuffi of the same size have
only 3-5 lamellae which are more widely spaced. T h e anterior end of L. reyrei is slightly less
pointed, the postero-dorsal slope is m o r e abruptly truncated, a n d the ventral extension of the
anterior a d d u c t o r scar is slightly larger in comparison to shell size. There is a minute
crenulation of the ventral margin in certain spécimens of L. reyrei, which is missing in other
spécimens. A n o t h e r comparable species is L. orbicularis Deshayes, 1836, from the Pliocène of
Southern E u r o p e (for illustration see SACCO, 1901), which is also small a n d closely resembles
L. reyrei. L. sublamellata (Sacco, 1901) was described as a variety of L. orbicularis from the
N o r t h Italian Pliocène a n d occurs also in the Pliocène of Tunisia (FEKIH, 1975, as " L .
orbicularis Desh. " ) . It is in fact a distinct species which has the same size as L. reyrei, is more
oblique and has more crowded concentric lamellae.

Anodontia subrostrata n. sp.

TYPE MATERIAL : Holotype MNHN, 11,8 x 10,0 mm, off Libreville, Gabon, 0°25' N/9°00' E, 73 m,
muddy sand with shell débris, a left v., "Calypso" Golfe de Guinée sta. 45, 8.VI. 1956. Paratypes : same
locality, 10,0 x 8,5 mm, a right v. ; 8,2 x 7,2 mm, a left v.

TYPE LOCALITY : off Libreville, Gabon.

 — 317 —

DESCRIPTION

Shell small, relatively solid, inflated, equivalve, inequilateral, subcircular, with the not
very prominent beaks situated just before the vertical midline. Anterior end rounded, tapering
a n d slightly inclined dorsally. Posterior p a r t b r o a d , ventral margin gently rounded. Postero-
dorsal slope with a very shallow, hardly visible radial dépression. Anterior area not visibly
marked. Lunule very small a n d inconspicuous, better developed in right than in left valve.
Ligament small a n d narrow, deeply inset.
Exterior with very fine concentric threads at slightly irregular intervais, with smooth
interspaces. Internai surface somewhat r o u g h ; muscle impressions well visible. Ventral
extension of anterior a d d u c t o r scar very short, broad a n d separated from the palliai line.
Hinge without teeth.
Colour of valves uniform white.
DISTRIBUTION : Only known from Gabon.
MATERIAL EXAMINED : The type material.
BIOTOPE : Muddy sand, well offshore.

DERIVATIO NOMINIS : The name subrostrata caracterizes the bluntly rostrate anterior end of the valves.

REMARKS

This species is caracterized by its inequilateral a n d comparatively strong valves with a

shorter and rostrate anterior end a n d a surface sculptured with concentric threads. This is not
the juvénile of a larger species, because the concentric threads are t o o regular on the later parts
towards the ventral margin, a n d the valves are t o o thick. A very young spécimen of A. cf.
edentula (L., 1758) (see below) also has concentric threads, but much denser, and its outline is
différent. Anodontia subfragilis (Dautzenberg, 1910) is more globose, nearly spheric, with
smooth surface and it h a s a pale salmon or yellowish hue instead of being completely white.
Anodontia fragilis (Philippi, 1836) from the Mediterranean is very similar to A. subfragilis a n d
also frequently pale yellowish to whitish beige, but h a s a still thinner shell. T h e third West
African species, A. cf. edentula (an Indo-Pacific species probably with disjunct distribution in
West Africa), is much larger, more globose a n d less solid. Occasionally it has more closely set
concentric threads in juvéniles.

Family SOLECURTIDAE
Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp.

Solecurtus strigilatus : NICKLÈS, 1950 : 217-218; COSEL, 1982a : 24; 19826 : 44.

TYPE MATERIAL : Holotype MNHN, 59,8 x 24,7 mm, S of Cape Verga, Guinea, 9°59' N/14°26' W,
sandy bottom, 15 m, 17.IV. 1988, a live-collected spécimen. Paratypes MNHN : 9°55,5'N/14°27'W, sand,
18m, and adult sh. ; 9°50'N/14°14'W, fine sand, 16m, 1 juv spm, 1 juv. v., ail trawled R/V "André
Nizéry", 16. and 17.IV.1988; paratype SMF : Cape Verga, 10°15'N/14°55'W, 27m, a slightly chipped
sh., trawled "André Nizéry", 22.X.1988, ail leg. R. VON COSEL.

TYPE LOCALITY : Cape Verga, Guinea (Conakry).

 — 318 —

DESCRIPTION

Shell moderately large, u p to 72 m m , solid but not thick, equivalve, inequilateral, slender
(length/width ratio 2,3-2,7 : 1), with beaks well before the vertical midline. Dorsal margin
mostly slightly convex, ventral margin weakly convex, straight or even very faintly concave.
Shell anteriorly a n d posteriorly widely gaping. Beaks only very slightly raised, anterior and
posterior margin well rounded, posterior part often very weakly tapering, in some spécimens,
however, with parallel margins. Ligament short, occupying a b o u t 1/5 of the length of the
postero-dorsal margin.
Exterior with strong concentric growth lines a n d very fine, m o r e or less oblique, irregular,
incised and partly curved lines running from the postero-dorsal margin towards the ventral
margin, on the lower part of the surface often becoming obsolète and missing on the anterior
part before the u m b o s . Antero-dorsal and postero-dorsal part with very faint radial striae.
Palliai sinus very deep a n d oval, extending a little bit beyond the position of the vertical line
crossing the beaks. Ventral limb of the palliai sinus very close to the ventral shell margin.
Hinge with two cardinals in the right valve, the posterior being oblique. Left valve with a large
anterior and a small posterior c a r d i n a l ; n o laterals.
Colour of valves salmon pinkish rose to very pale rose with two white radial rays, the first
one nearly vertical or only slightly inclined towards posterior, the second one oblique and
reaching the ventral margin behind the vertical midline. Inside whitish to pinkish, the radial
rays showing through.
Animal : Bulbous brownish foot, with a much lighter surrounding keel. Siphons separate,
with a huge c o m m o n base and transverse constrictions a r o u n d the tubes. Siphonal base light
brownish with thin, d a r k e r transverse " lines " which a p p e a r when the siphons are retracted.
Siphon tubes brown, also with darker transverse lines. Cruciform muscle attached to the valves
where the white rays reach the ventral margin.
Selected measurements and lenght/width ratio
72,4 x 27,2 mm S. Vicente, Cape Verde Is. (coll. ROLAN) 2,7 : 1
67,0 x 25,5mm Guinea (9°24'N/14°21'W, 40m) 2,6
66,8 x 26,1 mm Casamance, S-Sénégal 2,6
66,0 x 28,4 mm S. Vicente 2,3
65,8 x 25,3 mm Vridi, Côte d'Ivoire 2,6
62,6 x 25,1 mm S. Vicente 2,4
60,6 x 25,8 mm S. Vicente 2,3
59,8 x 24,7 mm S of Cap Verga, Guinea (holotype) 2,4
57,8 x 23,2 mm Pta. de Mussulo, Angola 2,5
55,8 x 22,5 mm S. Vicente 2,5
54,8 x 22,5 mm Ile Banié, Gabon 2,4
54.3 x 23,8 mm S of Cape Verga (paratype MNHN) 2,3
53.4 x 20,8 mm S. Vicente 2,6
53,0 x 22,2 mm Cape Verga (paratype SMF) 2,4
53,0 x 21,4 mm Casamance 2,5
51.0 x 22,4 mm Ile Banié, Gabon 2,3
46.5 x 20,0mm Guinea (9°18'N/14°03'W, 26m) 2,3
41,5 x 16,5 mm S. Vicente 2,5
41.1 x 16,3 mm Praia, Cape Verde I. (Madrid Mus.) 2,5
22,4 x 9,6mm Guinea (9"18'N/14°03'W) 2,3
21.2 x 9,3 mm S of Cape Verga (paratype MNHN) 2,3
12,8 x 6,2 mm S of Cape Verga (paratype MNHN) 2,1
 — 319 —

DISTRIBUTION : Cape Verde Islands and Sénégal (Dakar) to Angola (Luanda).

MATERIAL EXAMINED : The type material ; Cape Verde Islands : S. Vicente (no précise locality), 2 sh.,
MNHN ; Baia Matiota, Mindelo, S. Vicente, on mixed sand with calcareous algae, 2-3 m, 3 v., leg. VON
COSEL, 16.XII.1978. MNHN ex author's coll.; same locality, 1 sh., leg. and coll. ROLAN; Palmeira, Sal,
1 v., 20.VIII.1985; Praia, S. Tiago, 1 v., 21.VIII.1985, both Iberian Expédition to Cape Verde Islands.
Madrid Muséum. Sénégal : Baie de Gorée, 5-20 m, 2 v., leg. LEUNG TACK; Casamance (no précise
locality), 10-20 m, 2 sh., leg. M. PIN, MNHN. Guinea : NW of Cape Verga, sand, 20 m, 1 spm., broken by
the trawl, trawled R/V "André Nizéry", leg. VON COSEL, 23.X.1988; Continental shelf between Cape
Verga and the border to Sierra Leone, several sh. and v. between 15 and 40 m, trawled " André Nizéry ",
leg. VON COSEL, IV.V. and IX.-X.1988, MNHN. Sierra Leone: 7° 15,5'N/12°51'W, 64m, 1 old and
chipped v., "Calypso" Golfe de Guinée, sta. 10, 19.V.1956, MNHN. Ivory Coast : SW of Canal de Vridi,
Abidjan, 45 m, 1 fresh sh., leg. MARCHE-MARCHAD, 23.11.1960, MNHN. Gabon : Ile Banié, N of Cap
Esterias, on sand, thanatocoenosis, 2 sh., leg. P. BERNARD, MNHN. Angola : Palmeirinhas, 1 v. ; Pta. de
Mussulo, on beach, 1 v. ; Baia de Corimba, 10-20 m, 2 v., ail leg. GOFAS, MNHN.

BIOTOPE : Fine, médium and coarse sand, also with shell débris or calcareous algae, from about 3 m
to ca. 45 m.

REMARKS

This West African species has u p to now erroneously been cited as Solecurtus strigilatus.
The S W - E u r o p e a n and Mediterranean S. strigilatus (Linné, 1758) differs from the new species
by having a slightly shorter and broader shell (length/width ratio 1,9-2,5 : 1) with the beaks
situated closer to the vertical midline (ratio distance beaks-posterior end to total shell length in
S. strigilatus 0,56-0,62 : 1, mean : 0,59, n = 14; in 5. afroccidentalis 0,63-0,67 : 1, mean : 0,65,
n = 1 4 ) . S. strigilatus is more purple whereas S. afroccidentalis is more salmon-coloured. 5.
scopula (Turton, 1822) from E u r o p e (England) to Cape Blanc, which lives in deeper water, is
1
entirely white and has a shorter, broader and m o r e square shell. The spécimens of S .
afroccidentalis from the C a p e Verde Islands are usually paler than those from continental West
Africa.
5. afroccidentalis is a strictly tropical species, which has its northern limit in the Cape
Verde Islands and reaches the continent southwards only, at the southern part of the Cape
Vert Peninsula (Baie de Gorée). This is not unusual for West African and capverdian species
(COSEL, 19826). It is a characteristic species of the vast sandy areas between 15 and 40 m on the
continental shelf of Guinea. S. strigilatus has a known Atlantic distribution between the Bay of
Setubal, Portugal (NOBRE, 1938-40) and the Strait of Gibraltar ( M ' D i q , material collected by
S. GOFAS). I have not been able to check records further south along the northwest African
coast (PASTEUR-HUMBERT, 1962; A g a d i r ; DAUTZENBERG, 1910 : Port-Etienne, now N o u a d h i -
b o u ; LEWY, 1975 : N of Cape Barbas), which I consider unconfirmed and probably referring
to other species. The spécimen figured by ADANSON (1757) as " Le G o l a r " (pl. 19, fig. 2) is well
the West African species and not S. strigilatus, however, since ADANSON it was never
recognized being separate from 5 . strigilatus. NICKLÈS (1950) admitted that " S . strigilatus"
" had not been refound in Sénégal since A d a n s o n ". The material recently collected by PIN and
LEUNG TACK shows that S. afroccidentalis occurs from the Cape Vert Peninsula south, but not
north of it. F r o m thèse d a t a it can be concluded that there is a gap between S. strigilatus and
S. afroccidentalis extending from the Cape Vert peninsula northwards along Mauritania to
somewhere along the coast of M o r o c c o . Most probably thèse two very closely related species
 — 320 —

evolved from a c o m m o n ancestor. T h e populations m a y subsequently have separated, a n d the

two species continued developing separately.
There are other examples of such discontinuities between two very closely related species,
one in Europe-Mediterranean to M o r o c c o or the Strait of Gibraltar, the other one in tropical
West Africa, which have most probably derived from a c o m m o n ancestor.
One example is the muricid subgenus Bolinus, with one almost strictly mediterranean
species, Murex (Bolinus) brandaris Linné, 1758, with an Atlantic distribution from Setubal
(Portugal) to Tanger (Morocco), a n d one West African species, M. (B.) cornutus Linné, 1758,
from C a n a r y Islands to Angola. Also in this case both species h a d most probably one c o m m o n
ancestor and are n o w separated by a hydrographical barrier, the zone of upwelling along the
M o r o c c a n and northern M a u r i t a n i a n coast (for détails see COSEL, 19826, a n d TURKAY, 1982).
In contrast to Solecurtus, the range of M. (B.) cornutus extends as far n o r t h as the C a n a r y
Islands.

Family VENERIDAE
Dosinia gabonensis n. sp.

Dosinia exoleta : NICKLÈS, 1952 : 1 5 1 ; FISCHER-PIETTE & DELMAS, 1967 : 58 (partim).

TYPE MATERIAL : Holotype MNHN, 54,4 x 5 1 , 6 x 25,7 mm, Ile Banié, N of Cap Esterias, Gabon,
on sand with mud, 3-5 m, leg. P. RYALL, 1984, ex coll. P. BERNARD, Libreville. Paratypes : Ile Banié, fine
sand with détritus, 5-7m, 3 sh, 5 v., MNHN, 1 sh., 2 v., SMF, 2 v., IRSBN, 2 v., ZMC, 1 sh., 2 v., Natal
Muséum, ail leg. P. BERNARD, III. and IV. 1987.

TYPE LOCALITY : Ile Banié, north of Cap Esterias, Gabon.

DESCRIPTION

Shell fairly large, u p to 60 m m , strong a n d solid, equivalve, circular, with well defined a n d
sharply delimited lunule a n d escutcheon. Beaks well in front of the vertical midline. Postero-
dorsal margin in its first third behind the beaks raised, then moderately convex, ending with a
more or less rounded corner to the posterior margin. Antero-dorsal margin in front of the
lunule with a short and high curve. Ligament deeply inset, along slightly m o r e than 1/2 t o 2/3
of the length of the postero-dorsal margin. Lunule small, broad a n d heart-shaped, escutcheon
narrow, lens-shaped a n d sunken.
Exterior with n u m e r o u s , very fine a n d regular concentric ridges which become lamellate
and somewhat irregular towards the antero-dorsal a n d postero-dorsal margin a n d end
postero-dorsally in fine lamellate " s p i n e s " which sharply delimit the escutcheon. G r o w t h
stages faint, b u t clearly visible. Palliai sinus deep, triangular a n d pointing to the upper part of
the anterior adductor scar. Hinge plate broad, hinge with three cardinals in each valve a n d a
small anterior latéral k n o b in the left valve.
Colour of valves ivory-whitish, light beige to pale brownish, with curved radial brownish
rays, lines or streaks, often interrupted by lighter growth zones a n d occasionally with zigzag
markings. S u b u m b o n a l zone rarely with a light rosy hue. Lunule a n d escutcheon distinctly
dark brown to reddish brown, escutcheon in its posterior part often with a white zone, sharply
 — 321 —

delimited to the brown colour. Interior white, often with pale salmon, especially in the
posterior half.
Selected measurements with lengthjwidth ratio
60,3 x 56,7 X 28,0 mm Gabon (coll. POBEGUIN) 1,06 1
58,5 X 55,4 X 28,8 mm Pt. Gentil, Gabon 1,06 1
58,4 X 54,8 X — mm Pt. Gentil 1,07 1
54,4 X 53,0 X — mm Pt. Gentil 1,03 1
54,4 X 51,6 X 25,7 mm I. Banié, Gabon (holotype) 1,05 1
52,8 X 48,4 X — mm W of Kouffin Island, Guinea 1,09 1
52,6 X 50,8 X — mm I. Banié (paratype SMF) 1,04 1
50,9 x 45,6 X — mm S. of Cape Verga, Guinea 1,1 1
50,2 X 47,0 X — mm W of Kouffin Island 1,07 1
47,8 X 45,7 X 22,5 mm I. Banié (paratype MNHN) 1,05 1
47,6 X 45,0 X 22,8 mm I. Banié (paratype MNHN) 1,06 1
46,4 X 43,6 X 21,7 mm I. Banié (paratype SMF) 1,06 1
45,7 X 41,7 X — mm W of Kouffin Island 1,1 1
43,3 X 42,5 X mm I. Banié (paratype MNHN) 1,02 1
43,1 X 41,8 X 19,5 mm I. Banié (paratype Natal Mus.) 1,03 1
41,7 X 39,8 X 19,4 mm I. Banié (paratype) MNHN) 1,05 1
41,0 X 37,4 X — mm W of Kouffin Island 1,1 1

DISTRIBUTION : Guinea (Ile Kouffin, 10°30'N) to Gabon (Ile Banié to Port Gentil), not yet found in
the Congo.
MATERIAL EXAMINED : The type material; Guinea : 10°27'N/15°37,5'W, coarse sand with gravel,
39m, 1 v., bottom grab, Sedigui sta. 742, 1 v., trawled, Sedigui sta B 4 C H ; 10°27'N/15°43,5'W, coarse
sand, 20m, 2 v., trawled, Sedigui sta. B 3 C H ; ail R/V "André Nizéry", leg. VON COSEL, 25.-28.X.1988,
9°55,5'N/14°27"vV, sand, 18m, 1 v., trawled R/V "André Nizéry", leg. VON COSEL, 17.IV. 1988, ail
MNHN. Liberia : 6°40'N/11°23'W, fine sand, 51 m, 1 slightly chipped old v., dredged, "Calypso" Golfe
de Guinée sta. 12, 19.V.1956, MNHN. Gabon : Ile Banié, Corisco Bank, fine sand with détritus, 5-7 m,
num. v., leg. P. BERNARD, III.IV.1987; Port Gentil, 1 sh., coll. CH. ROUX; 3 v., leg. P. BERNARD, 1985;
"Côtes du G a b o n " (no précise loc), coll. POBEGUIN, 1900, ail MNHN.
BIOTOPE : Fine sand with détritus, subtidally between 3 and 50 m (live spécimens not yet known), in
the northern part of the distribution area (Guinea) only found in deeper water (18-50m).
DERIVATIO NOMINIS : The species is named after the Republic of Gabon, where the type locality is
situa ted.

REMARKS

Dosinia gabonensis is well characterized by its peculiarly dark b r o w n lunula and

escutcheon in combination with the spine-like lamellae delimiting the deeply sunken
escutcheon, a character rarely seen a m o n g the Dosinias. The only other large Eastern Atlantic
Dosinia, D. exoleta (Linné, 1758) has a similar gênerai outline and occasionally also a
brownish lunule, but the escutcheon is shorter, very narrow, not sunken, not sharply delimited,
generally not coloured, and the delimiting lamellae are absent. In D. exoleta the postero-dorsal
margin is normally more rounded towards the posterior m a r g i n ; in Atlantic spécimens the
concentric sculpture is more coarse, in mediterranean spécimens it can be as fine as in D.
gabonensis. In D. exoleta the radial rays and lines are more reddish brown and more frequently
with zigzag pattern. A similar indopacific species is D. troscheli Lischke, 1873, from J a p a n ,
which has also a radial pattern, a similar sculpture and brownish lunula and escutcheon.
 — 322 —

However, the escutcheon is broader, longer and less coloured or occasionally not coloured,
and the shell is slightly longer in relation to height than D. gabonensis.
T h e new species occurs in G a b o n with D. orbignyi D u n k e r , 1845, which is smaller, thicker,
higher and m o r e globose. It is whitish with salmon o r pale violet and lacks any pattern ; lunule
and escutcheon are not coloured. D. orbignyi occurs from the Gulf of Guinea to Angola a n d
inhabits fine sand in shallow water. Off G u i n e a it occurs together with D. afra (Gmelin, 1791),
a species which is very close to the West E u r o p e a n D. lincta (Pulteney, 1799) and differs from
the new species in being smaller, having a finer sculpture a n d a less pronounced escutcheon. It
is uniform dirty white.
D. gabonensis is, according to the few records, very rare north of G a b o n . D u r i n g a survey
of the Guinean shelf in April-May a n d October-November 1988, where 804 b o t t o m grab
samplings, a b o u t 210 trawl hauls and a b o u t 170 dredge hauls with various types of gear were
done, only Ave single valves were obtained on four stations. There is n o record at ail between
Liberia and G a b o n .

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to Pierre BERNARD, Libreville, who donated the holotype and most of the material of
Dosinia gabonensis and also some Solecurtus. Further material was furnished by LEUNG TACK and Marcel
PIN, both Dakar, Emilio ROLAN, Vigo, Spain, and by Serge GOFAS. Philippe BOUCHET and Anders WARÉN
read the manuscript.

Abbreviations used in the text

IRSNB : Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium.
MNHN : Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France,
sh. : shell (both valves, empty).
SMF : Naturmuseum und Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt/M., W-Germany.
spm. : spécimen (live taken).
sta. : station,
v. : valve.
ZMC : Universitets Zoologisk Muséum, Copenhagen, Denmark.

LITERATURE CITED

ADANSON, M., 1757. — Histoire des coquillages. In : Histoire Naturelle du Sénégal. Paris,
C. J. B. Bauche. 96 + 275 pp., 19 pl.
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(Republica do Cabo Verde). Vorlàufige Liste der marinen Mollusken. Courier Forsch. Inst.
Senckenberg, 5 3 : 15-25.
— 19826. — Marine Mollusken der Kapverdischen Inseln. Uebersicht mit zoogeographischen
Anmerkungen. Courier Forsch. Inst. Senckenberg, 5 2 : 35-76.
DAUTZENBERG, Ph., 1910. — Contribution à la faune malacologique de l'Afrique occidentale. Act. Soc.
linn. Bordeaux, 64 : 1-174, pis. 1-4.
FEKIH, M., 1975. — Paléoécologie du Pliocène marin au Nord de la Tunisie. Annls Mines Géol. Tunis.,
2 7 : 1-148, 41 pis.
LEWY, Z., 1975. — Mollusks distribution on the Atlantic continental shelf off southern Spanish Sahara,
West Africa. « Meteor » Forsch.-Ergebn., (C), 2 1 : 52-60.
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NICKLÈS, M., 1950. — Mollusques testacés marins de la côte occidentale d'Afrique. Paris, Paul
Lechevalier. 2 6 9 pp., 4 6 4 fig.
— 1952. — Mollusques testacés marins du littoral de l'A.E.F. J. Conch. Paris, 9 2 ( 3 ) : 143-154.
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Porto, Comp. Editora do Minho. 807 pp, 8 7 pis.
PASTEUR-HUMBERT, Ch., 1962. — Les mollusques marins testacés du Maroc. II Les lamellibranches et les
scaphopodes. Trav. Inst. Scient, chérif., sér. Zool., 2 8 : 1-184.
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Clausen, 160 pp., 19 pis.
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Zoogeographie des Gebietes. Courier Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg, 5 2 : 91-129.
 — 324 —

PLATE I

1 — Lucina leloeuffi n. sp. : holotype M N H N , Cap des Palmes, Liberia, interior and exterior of left valve ( x 1).
2 — Lucina leloeuffi n. sp. : paratype M N H N , same locality, interior and exterior of left valve ( x 1).
3 — Lucina leloeuffi n. sp. : paratype II M N H N , same locality, interior and exterior of left valve ( x 1).
4 — Anodontia subrostrata n. sp. : holotype M N H N , off Libreville, Gabon, interior and exterior of left valve ( x 4,5).
5 — Anodontia subrostrata n. sp. : paratype M N H N , same locality, interior and exterior of right valve ( x 4,5).
PLATE I
 — 326 —

PLATE II (ail x 1)

6 — Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp. : holotype M N H N , S of Cape Verga, Guinea, exterior of both valves.
7 — Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp. : holotype M N H N , ventral view, showing cruciform muscle.
8 — Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp. : paratype M N H N , same locality, interior and exterior of right valve.
9 — Solecurtus afroccidentalis n. sp. : Matiota, Cape Verde Islands, coll. E . ROLAN, VIGO, exterior of both valves.
10 — Solecurtus strigilatus (Linné, 1758) : La Franqui, French Mediterranean coast, interior and exterior of right
valve.
PLATE II
 — 328 —

PLATE III (ail x 1)

11 — Dosinia gabonensis n. sp. : holotype M N H N , Ile Banié, Gabon, interior, exterior and dorsal view.
12 — Dosinia gabonensis n. sp. : paratype S M F , same locality, exterior of right valve.
13 — Dosinia gabonensis n. sp. : paratype M N H N , same locality, exterior of both valves.
— 329 —
 — 330 —

PLATE IV

14 _ Dosinia gabonensis n. sp. : Gabon, coll. POBEGUIN, M N H N , interior and exterior ( x 1).
 — 331 —

14
PLATE IV