Morum purpureum Röding, 1798

+Oniscia lamarckii Deshayes, 1844 non Cassidaria (Oniscia) lamarkii Lesson, 1840*

Morum purpureum Röding, 1798

Under rocks at a depth of 40 feet, Sainte-Anne, Martinique, West indies ( 22.5 and 21.5 mm.)

Protoconch

Morum purpureum Röding, 1798 - Protoconch

*Emily Vokes (1998: 15 <http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10689343#page/23/mode/1up>) seems to have been the only one in the published literature to have pointed out the unavailability of Oniscia lamarckii Deshayes, 1844.

The senior homonym, Cassidaria (Oniscia) lamarkii Lesson, 1840 <http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/48713#page/222/mode/1up> is apparently an overlooked nomen dubium, allegedly from Australia. Aside from being unfigured, its description is imprecise (except for the thin labrum, it might even be a mislocalized M. oniscus). Certainly there is no mention of pink/purple, the columella being described as griseous, so it appears there was no collaboration/confusion involving Lesson and Deshayes, and Vokes' treatment of the homonymy, during the hegemony of the third edition of the Code, is final pending a petition.

Lesson, R.P., 1840. Molluscorum novae. Espčce nouvelle de mollusque du genre Cassidaire. Revue Zoologique (Société Cuvierienne) 3: 212.

Vokes, E.H., 1998. Neogene paleontology in the northern Dominican Republic 18. The superfamily Volutacea (in part) (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bulletins of American Paleontology 113(354): (1)-54 + plates 1-10. 20 April. <http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10689343#page/9/mode/1up>