Oligohalinophila dorri

This species was described under the name Canidia dorri by Gustave-Éduard Joseph Wattebled in 1886.[1] Two syntypes are stored in National Museum of Natural History in Paris.[3] The specific name dorri is in honour of captain Émile Dorr (1857-1907) who collected type specimens in North Central Coast region of nowadays Vietnam.[1]

This species was not reported since 1886 until 2001.[3] Kantor & Kilburn (2001)[3] reported on the rediscovery of Nassodonta dorri, described the shell, radula and provided some preliminary anatomical observations based on a single, poorly preserved female, and discussed the family placement of the genus.[4] They also moved this species to the genus Nassodonta within Nassariidae.[3] There was Nassodonta insignis as the only species within the genus Nassodonta.[3]

Simone (2007)[5] provided a description of the external anatomy, proboscis musculature and radula, based on semi-mummified specimens.[4]

Strong et al. provided anatomical and molecular phylogeny analysis and placed it into the newly established subfamily Anentominae and they confirmed the placement of this species within family Nassariidae.[4]

In 2019 Neiber M.T. & Glaubrecht M. moved this species to a new genus Oligohalinophila in the subfamily Anentominae. [6]

Distribution of Oligohalinophila dorri include Vietnam: lagune de Kao-hai near Huế, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Central Vietnam[3] and Phan Ri River, Bình Thuận Province, Southeast Vietnam.[4] It was also reported as abundant species from Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa Province in South Central Coast and from Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm, Ninh Thuận Province.[3]

The type locality is lagune de Kao-hai near Huế.[1]

The shell is thick.[3] The shape of the shell is oblong-ovate.[3] The shell has 2.25 distinctly shouldered whorls.[4][3] The spire is low and obtuse.[3] The body whorl is subcyrindrical.[3] The width of the shell is 8.0-9.6 mm.[3] Shell length is 12.0-14.9 mm.[3]

Apertural view of a shell of Oligohalinophila dorri.

Abapertural view of a shell of Oligohalinophila dorri.

Operculum is thin, elongate, oval with basal nucleus.[4] The length of the operculum is 5.7 mm.[3]

Head is small and broad, with very short, thick cephalic tentacles.[4] Eyes are slightly elevated on prominent ocular peduncles at tentacle outer bases.[4] Foot is broad, fleshy, overlapping sides of operculum in preserved specimens.[4] Frontal part of the foot (propodium) is narrow with posterior extent marked by indistinct notch, poorly demarcated from mesopodium.[4] There is shallow propodial pedal gland along anterior edge, with two histologically distinct subepithelial gland cells.[4] Metapodium has no posterior tentacles.[4]

Apertural view of anatomy of Oligohalinophila dorri. ag, albumen gland; au, auricle; c, caecum; ct, ctenidium; dg, digestive gland; ebv, efferent branchial vein; f, foot; hg, hypobranchial gland; kd, kidney; ngl, nephridial gland; op, operculum; ov, ovary; ppg, propodial pedal gland; r, rectum; si, siphon; v, ventricle.

Abapertural view of anatomy of Oligohalinophila dorri. ov, ovary; c, caecum; dg, digestive gland; cm, columellar muscle; ag, albumen gland; cg, capsule gland; r, rectum; ct, ctenidium; os, osphradium; f, foot; p, propodium; t, cephalic tentacle; si, siphon.

SEM photo of radula of Oligohalinophila dorri. Scale bar is 100 μm.

Mantle cavity is short, less than one-half whorl in length.[4] There is reno-pericardial complex just behind the mantle cavity.[4] Mantle cavity is slightly asymmetrical, slightly deeper at left side in front of pericardium.[4]

Reproductive system: has separate sexes (i.e. these snails are dioecious).[4]

Females: ovipositor is forming deep, simple pore surrounded by weakly developed subepithelial glands.[4]

Oligohalinophila dorri live in lower parts of rivers.[3] Reported depth is about 3 m.[3] This species lives in turbid brackish waters and is capable of withstanding a wide range of salinities.[4]

This article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 text from the reference[4]

• Wattebled G. (1886). Description de mollusques inédits de l'Annam. Récoltes du capitaine Dorr aux environs de Hué. Journal de Conchyliologie. 34(1): 54-71.

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