The Living Columbariinae (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda: Turbinellidae) of New Zealand

Abstract

The Columbariinae have been represented in the fauna of New Zealand from the Paleocene until the Recent, providing the longest known continuous record for the subfamily. Seven living species, representing the genera Columbarium, Coluzea, and Fulgurofusus, are recognized, and include two species, Fulgurofusus maxwelli and Fulgurofusus marshalli that are described as new. The New Zealand columbariine fauna is unusually diverse at the generic level, and includes the largest members of the subfamily, as well as the only primarily sublittoral species. The morphology, anatomy, and distribution of the living species are discussed, as are their relationships to living and fossil congeners.