Paradusta hungerfordi and its geographic subspecies and variations

According to Lorenz & Hubert (1993), this attractive and unmistakable species is conchologically related to Erronea barclayi, but Chris Meyer (2004) found that according to the DNA it belongs into a group with punctata and martini which have been placed in "Notadusta". More comprehensive sampling abrogated this preliminary interpretation. Notadusta was based on a South Australian fossil with intracapsular development (see Lorenz NWWC 2002) and two new genera were introduced in the meantime: Ransoniella (punctata and martini) and Paradusta: hungerfordi and barclayi. After Meyer (2004) P. hungerfordi has a wide distribution from Japan, the China Sea, across the Philippines and Indonesia to Australia. Contrary to common belief, it occurs also along the Western Australian coast. there is a specimen in the collection of the WA Museum (collected by a WAM research vessel), and another one in my collection which was taken by a trawler off the Kimberley coast in the 1980ies. A dead but recognizable specimen was dredged by the MNHN Paris off Makassar (Ujung Pandang) S. Sulawesi. It occurs along three geographical provinces which bear populations assignable to three subspecies: hungerfordi, bealsi and coucomi.

hungerfordi hungerfordi (greenin map): Japan and China. The shell is solid and broad, callused. The dorsum is brwnish to greenish, faintly banded. The base is usually orange to cream, the columellar teeth short, the frame of spots restricted to the dorsum. Specimens from Japan are paler and less callused than Taiwanese ones, in which the marginal spotting is also denser. Japanese shells are also called variety kiiensis. hungerfordi bealsi (blue): Philippine to Indonesia. The shell is slender, the base cream with purplish extremities, the dorsum is distinctly banded. There are two forms: the typical bealsi is small, with few marginal spots which often reach onto base. The variety lovetha is supposedly larger, with distinct dense spots that are restricted to the dorsal area. hungerfordi coucomi (red): Australia. The shell is rather slender, cream to greyish brown with distinct banding. The marginal spots are usually sparse. The columellar teeth are usually denser and mostly longer. The base is yellow to whitish.

hungerfordi hungerfordi, typical Taiwanese shells with marginal callosities   hungerfordi hungerfordi, color variations hungerfordi hungerfordi, exceptional dwarf shell

hungerfordi hungerfordi forma kiiensis. Such Japanese shells are paler than Taiwanese ones.

hungerfordi bealsi. Typical small shells  hungerfordi cf. bealsi. Dead collected specimen from Makassar, S. Sulawesi. Coll. MNHN Paris

hungerfordi coucomi. Typical shells hungerfordi cf. coucomi, Western Australia

first uploaded Sept. 2006, revised 2021