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Family  Laubierinidae
 

 

 

The family Laubierinidae was erected in 1990 for three rare, deep water species in the superfamily Tonnoidea. Specimens of all the species are exceptionally rare, only known from a few localities where very deep sea sampling has taken place. However, from the few specimens available, it is apparent that the species have very wide distributions. For example, Laubierina perigrinator Warren & Bouchet, 1990 comes from depths of 2.3 – 3.5 km in the south-eastern Atlantic and south-western Indian Ocean.

Species have low spiral fragile shells with a poorly developed siphonal canal. Anatomical and radular characters place the species in the superfamily Tonnoidea, near the families Tonnidae and Cassidae.

Only two specimens are known from Australia; one of Akibumia orientalis (Schepman, 1909) from off Sydney, and one of Akibumia schepmani Habe, 1962, from off the Gold Coast. Both were collected by the Fisheries Research vessel Kapala.

Family Reference

Waren, A. & Bouchet, P. 1990. Laubierinidae and Pisanianurinae (Ranellidae), two new deep-sea taxa of the Tonnoidea (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia). The Veliger 33(1): 56-102

Coverage

Both species known from Australia are covered here.