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Colubraria pulchrafuscata Dekkers, 2007: a junior synonym of Colubraria springsteeni Parth, 1991, pp 1-3, pls 1-3, table 1, by David Monsecour & Kevin Monsecour.

Keywords: Mollusca, Gastropoda, COLUBRARIIDAE, Colubraria pulchrafuscata, Colubraria springsteeni, Colubraria brinkae, junior synonym, range extension.

Abstract: In 2007, Dekkers described Colubraria pulchrafuscata as a new species originating from the South China Sea and compared it with Colubraria castanea Kuroda & Habe, 1952 (= Colubraria tenera (Gray, 1839) and Colubraria springsteeni Parth, 1991. Yet, the comparison was based upon a false identification of the latter and comparison of the type figures (Parth, 1991) with the type series (holotype and three paratypes) of C. pulchrafuscata lead to the conclusion that C. pulchrafuscata is a junior synonym of C. springsteeni and should therefore be rejected as a valid taxon. The distributional ranges of both Colubraria springsteeni (Japan) and Colubraria brinkae Parth, 1992 (Queensland) are extended.

Keywords: MYTILIDAE, Modiolus gallicus, Modiolus modiolus, NE Atlantic.

Abstract: Modiolus gallicus (Dautzenberg, 1895) has always been a rather controversial species, not fully understood and rather absent from shell collections. Type material of Modiolus gallicus (RBINS) has been compared with several samples of Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758) from different localities in NW Europe, belonging to the private collections of the present authors. The differences with similar species such as Modiolus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Gibbbomodiola adriatica (Lamarck, 1819) are clearly established. This study has resulted in the decision that specimens identified as Modiolus gallicus merely have to be regarded as young representatives of Modiolus modiolus with sometimes particular shell shapes due to the living conditions at a juvenile stage.