Remarks on the genus Trophon (s.L.) montfort, 1810 (mollusca: Gastropoda: Muricidae) in the southern ocean and adjacent areas

Resum

Among the several groups of molluscs in the southern hemisphere, the genus Trophon Montfort, 1810 has a particular importance, because it is a highly diversified taxon in the Southern Ocean and SubAntarctic waters. In the middle of the XX century, 27 species were known, which increased to 33 species at the beginning of the XXI century, but more than 100 species were described under this genus along the time, most of them being synonyms or belonging to other genera at the moment. Despite the great diversification of this genus, no summarizing data from these areas are known and some records are confused by using of combining genera/subgenera (i.e. Coronium Simone, 1996, Pagodula Monterosato, 1884, Nodulotrophon Habe & Ito, 1965 and Fuegotrophon Powell, 1951). In this work we gathered data of the distribution, shell morphology and taxonomic remarks of 46 species of Trophon (s.l.) starting from a performed database with all records toward the pole from about 20ºS in South-American waters, and from about 45ºS in the Eastern Atlantic, Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. Seventeen species were found inhabiting exclusively in South-America, three in Antarctica, five in Western Sub-Antarctic waters, and five in Eastern Sub-Antarctic waters; 16 species presented a wide range of distribution. Bathymetrically, 22 species were exclusive of the continental shelf, 23 reached the slope and one the deep-sea (>3,000 m). From the shell morphology, five main morphotypes were recognized. Affinities between species and with combining genera were discussed from the obtained data.