Three new deep-sea species of Thyasiridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from the abyssal plain of the northwestern Pacific Ocean and hadal depths of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench

Abstract

The Thyasiridae is the most species-rich family of bivalves in the abyssal and hadal zones of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. In recent years, with at least 14 thyasirid species found in that region at depths exceeding 3,000 m. Some of them are the numerically dominant species in bottom communities. However, all members in that family have not yet been identified to the species level. Based on the material collected from 1953 to 2016 by five deep-sea expeditions, three new species of Thyasiridae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) are described from the abyssal and hadal zones of the northwestern Pacific. “Axinulus” roseus sp. nov. was found in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench at 9,000–9,583 m depth. This species has a large rhomboidal shell with strong commarginal sculpture, a well defined, long and deep lunule and escutcheon without an auricle, a ctenidium consisting of a single demibranch, extensively lobed lateral pouches, and a large prodissoconch with specific sculpture. It is one of the dominant species in terms of abundance in macrobenthic communities in the deepest basin of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench with a population density of up to 396 ind. m ⁻². The species has a shell length of up to 9.0 mm and it is the largest thyasirid with a single demibranch. “Axinulus” oliveri sp. nov. was found in a vast region of the northwestern Pacific on the abyssal plain adjacent to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, on the abyssal slope of the Kuril Islands, and in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench at 4,648–6,168 m depth. This species is characterized by its ovate-rhomboidal shell, a well defined, deep and long escutcheon with a distinct auricle, a ctenidium with a single demibranch, and extensively lobed lateral pouches. It is widespread in the northwestern Pacific and forms populations with a density of up to 36 ind. m ⁻². Scanning electron microscopic observation of the gills of “A.” roseus sp. nov. and “A.” oliveri sp. nov. revealed that these species are not chemosymbiotic. “Axinulus” roseus sp. nov. and “A.” oliveri sp. nov. are provisionally assigned to the genus Axinulus, because they differ from the type species of the genus in a number of morphological and anatomical features. Parathyasira fragilis sp. nov. was found on the abyssal plain adjacent to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench at 5,249–5,399 m depth. This species is distinguished by its very thin, fragile, dorsoventrally elongated, rhomboidal shell with very long anterodorsal margin and a long, wide, flat lunule. The taxonomic position of the new species is discussed.