On the taxonomic position of Phaenomenella Fraussen & Hadorn, 2006 (Neogastropoda, Buccinoidea) with description of two new species

This contribution provides novel information on the anatomy, radula and phylogeny of several species of Phaenomenella Fraussen & Hadorn, 2006, a genus of Buccinoidea Rafinesque, 1815 with unclear affinities. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of mitochondria) COI and nuclear 28S rRNA genes of different representatives of Buccinoidea revealed close relationships of Phaenomenella with Stphonalia A. Adams, 1863 both taxa forming a lade with maximal support. The anatomy of two species of the latter genus was examined for the first time for comparative purposes. The subfamily Siphonaliinae Finlay, 1928 was erected for several Recent and fossil genera of Southern Hemisphere Buccinidae Rafinesque, 1815, and is still recognized by current taxonomists (Bouchet et al. 2017). Species of all Recent genera of Siphonaliinae were included in our analysis and the monophyly of the subfamily Siphonaliinae in its original scope is rejected. Molecular and morphological data revealed two still unnamed species of Phaenomenella from the lower bathyal zone of the South China Sea. These species, Phaenomenella nicoi n. sp. and P. samadiae n. sp. are described in the present study.