Merica

Abstract: A description is given and comparisons made, with both Recent and some Tertiary fossil species, of all known Recent species in the family Cancellariidae from Australian waters Two species (1 new subsp, Cancellaria (Merica) melanostoma westralis) are included in Cancel/aria (Merica), 1 in C (Nevia), 8 (1 new, Cancellaria (Sydaphera) panamuna) in C (Sydaphera), 3 (1 new, Fusiaphera dampierensis) in Fusiaphera, 13 (3 new, Trigonostoma diamantina, Trigonostoma iota and Trigonostoma tessella) in Trigonostoma, 1 in Admetula, 3 (1 new, Gergovia haswelli) in Gergovia, 3 (1 new, Inglisella nympha) in Inglisella, 2 in Pep ta, 1 in Vercomaris (new), 1 in Bonellitia, and 1 (new, Zeadmete kulanda) in Zeadmete

Abstract: One new genus and nine new species of Cancellariidae are described from New Caledonia from depths between 200 and 600 meters. They are: Africotriton adelphum new species, Mirandaphera new genus, Mirandaphera cayrei new species, Mirandaphera maestratii new species, Merica marisca new species, Sveltia rocroii new species, Sveltia splendidula new species, Nipponaphera pardalis new species, Nipponaphera cyphoma new species, and Nipponaphera goniata new species. Africotriton adelphum new species is the first species in that genus known from outside South Africa and Australia. The new genus Mirandaphera is characterized by its broad, non-umbilicate shell with very large crenulated axial ribs, and axial columella. The genus is composed of the new species described herein, Mirandaphera Maestratii new species and M. cayrei new species, and two other species: M. tosaensis (Habe, 1961) new combination and M. arafurensis (Verhecken, 1997) new combination, from deep water off Japan and the Arafura Sea respectively. Trigonaphera teramachii Habe, 1961 and Agatrix nodosivaricosa Petuch, 1979 are transferred to Nipponaphera. New species of Merica, Sveltia, and Nipponaphere are the deepest dwelling known representatives in their respective genera.