Page 7 - Chitons_Mollusca_DELL_ANGELO_1998

Chitons in Strait of Sicily

(Poli)- Dell'Angelo and Palazzi, p.45, Pl. 1- few loose plates collected at Laghi Alimini
2 (cumsyn.) (Lecce), Capraia isl. (Leghorn) and Punta
1990 Lepidopleurns cajetanus (Poli) - Mifsud Prosciutto (Taranto). After the direct com-
et al., p .53, Fig. l parison of plate VIII of one paratype of L.
bedullii with plate VIII of the holotype of
Materia!: st. 84 (Favignana isl., Secca del Lepidopleurns (Leptochiton) boettgeri Sulc,
Toro, -62 m, grab ), l plate. 1934, from the Miocene of Kostej, Romania,
Dell'Angelo and Palazzi (1989) have propo-
Remarks: L. cajetanus is the commonest sed the synonymy of this Mediterranean spe-
Mediterranean Lepidopleurus. Differently cies with the Miocene taxon. However, this
from fully-grown adults, juveniles of this synonymy has been refused by Kaas and Van
species may show some morphological varia- Belle (1994), based on morphological and
bility. Our only plate (posterior) stili man- biogeographic arguments.
tains some juvenile features, including the
Iack of a fully developed chiselled sculpture, Ecology: the ecologica! requirements of
the presence of pronounced tubercle rows, L. bedullii are virtually unknown. The few
and the anterior location of the mucro (La- findings reported so far are generically rela-
ghi, 1977). ted to shallow water depths, associated to
Posidonia oceanica meadows and corallige-
Ecology: L. cajetanus is a shallow water nous habitats.
species distributed between 0.5 - 40 m (nor-
mally 1-5 m) under rocks and shells. Distribution: Apulian coasts (Laghi Ali-
mini, Porto Cesareo, Punta Prosciutto), Tu-
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic ocean, scany (Capraia, Elba), Sicily (Vendicari),
from Brittany to Marocco and Canary Is- Malta (Mifsud et al., 1990), Tunisia (Kaas,
lands, Mediterranean sea. 1989; Kaas and Van Belle, 1987), Turkey
(Kaas and Van Belle, 1987), Greece (Strack,
1988; Kaas and Van Belle, 1987) and Cyprus
Subgenus Leptochiton Gray 1847 (Cecalupo and Quadri, 1996).

Lepidopleurus (Leptochiton) bedullii (DEL- Lepidopleurus (Leptochiton) cancellatus
L'ANGELO and PALAZZI, 1986), Pl. l, Fig. 5 (SOWERBY, 1840) Pl. l, Fig. l

Selected references: Selected references:
1986 Leptochiton (L.) bedullii Dell'Angelo 1840 Chiton cancellatus Sowerby, Fig. 104,
and Palazzi, p. 7, Figs. 17-18, 23-24, 27-31, 104a-b, 105
49-50, 58-62 1985a Leptochiton (L.) cancellatus (Sowerby)
1987 Leptochiton (L.) bedullii Dell'Angelo - Kaas and Van Belle, p.43, Fig. 16
and Palazzi - Kaas and Van Belle, p. 12, Fig. 1985 Lepidopleurns cancellatus (Sowerby) -
4 Gaglini, p.2, Pl. 2, Fig. 4
1989 Lepidopleurns ( Leptochiton) boettgeri 1986 Leptochiton (L.) cancellatus (Sower-
Sulc- Dell'Angelo and Palazzi, p. 72, Pl. 20, by)-Dell'Angelo and Palazzi, p. 10, Figs. 6-8,
22, Fig.5 ( cum syn.) 41, 51, 65, 67, 69
1990 Leptochiton bedullii De Il' Angelo an d 1987 Leptochiton (L.) cancellatus (Sowerby)
Palazzi - Mifsud et al., p. 54 - Cesari, p.6, Pl. l, Fig. 1-7
1994 Leptochiton (L.) bedullii Dell'Angelo 1989 Lepidopleurns (Leptochiton) cancellatus
and Palazzi - Kaas and Van Belle, p. 9 (Sowerby) - Dell'Angelo an d Palazzi, p. 58,
Pls.6-7 ( cum syn.)
Materia!: st. 88 (Favignana isl.,-36 m, 1990 Leptochiton cancellatus (Sowerby) -
grab), l plate. Mifsud, p. 54

Remarks: we have recovered only one, so- Materia!: st. 36 (Strait of Sicily, -327/176
mewhat worn plate. This elusive taxon has m, rock dredge ), l p late; st. 58 ( -345/225 m,
bee n described by Dell'Angelo an d Palazzi rock dredge ), 3 plates; st. 88 (Favignana isl.,
(1986) after three living individuals and a -36 m, grab ), 44 plates; st. 93 (Scuso bank,