New species of Littorinidae recorded in Hong Kong
Mak Yiu Ming has recently described (with Dr David Reid of the Natural History Museum, London) two new species of Littorinidae in the genus Peasiella. The two species are Peasiella fasciata, which is 1.3-2.5mm in diameter, cream to opaque greyish white with brown-dark red or black lines/bands. This species is found on moderately-exposed to sheltered shores amongst the rock oyster Saccostrea and has been found at Wu Kwai Sha, Peng Chau, Hoi Ha and Cape d'Aguilar. The second species is Peasiella habei, which is 1.6-3.8mm in diameter, fawn cream to ochre in colour with faint brown stripes. This species is also found amongst barnacles and rock oysters in the upper eulittoral on sheltered shores and has been recorded from Tolo Harbour and Lok Wo Sha Bay in the Tolo Channel.
Hong Kong has the greatest number of sympatrically occurring species of these very small littorinids - and their discovery takes the number of species in this family in Hong Kong to 16 species. Illustrated are the shell of the common Peasiella roepstorffiana and the egg capsules of the new species Peasiella fasciata and Peasiella habei, all drawn by Mak. Gray Williams
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