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A New Endemic Species of Lambis Röding, 1798 From the Philippines (Mollusca:
Neostromboidae: Strombidae)

Article · February 2022

DOI: 10.14738/aivp.101.11712

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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 10, No. 1
Publication Date: February 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/aivp.101.11712.

Dekkers, A. M., & Maxwell, S. J. (2022). A New Endemic Species of Lambis Röding, 1798 From the Philippines (Mollusca:

Neostromboidae: Strombidae). European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 393-400.

A New Endemic Species of Lambis Röding, 1798 From the

Philippines (Mollusca: Neostromboidae: Strombidae)

Aart M. Dekkers
Oasestraat 79, 1448 NR Purmerend, The Netherlands

Stephen J. Maxwell
College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University
Cairns, Qld, 4870, Australia

ABSTRACT
This paper describes a new endemic species from the central Philippines, Lambis
vertriesti n. sp. and this brings the total number of Lambis species to twelve. The
news species can be differentiated form other Lambis by its unique morphology.
The lectotypes for Lambis lambis (Linné, 1758) and Lambis millepeda (Linné, 1758)
are also designated from the syntype material in the Linnean Collection, London
and the literary references provided by Linné. This new species, couples with those
circumscribed, to highlight the central Philippines as a hotspot for Lambis taxa.

Keywords: Lambis, morphology, Philippines, species, taxonomy.

INTRODUCTION
The species contained within Lambis Röding, 1798 are commonly known as spider shells and
are highly sought after by collectors and decorators alike. They are medium to large shells
restricted to the Indo-Pacific topical waters [1]. The species are recognisable by the flaring lip,
digitations that extend periodically along the edge of the aperture, and extended anterior canal,
features that distinguish them from other members of the Strombidae Rafinesque, 1815. The
Lambis was once divided into three distinctive subgenera: Lambis (Lambis) Röding, 1798;
Lambis (Millepes) Mörch, 1852, and Lambis (Harpago) Mörch, 1852, but with time these
subgenera have been inflated, as the taxonomic fashion, to the rank of genera. Later authors
collapsed Millepes into Lambis, leaving only Harpago and Lambis [2]. These changes, while
accepted, were made in the literature without any justification in the text. Ophioglossolambis
Dekkers, 2012 was described to encapsulate Ophioglossolambis digitata (Perry, 1811) and
Ophioglossolambis violacea (Swainson, 1821), and now includes the newly recognised
Ophioglossolambis itsumiae Lum, 2021.

Lambis lambis (Linné, 1758) is a common and highly variable species ranging throughout the
Indo-Pacific where it has many regional forms and is recognised by its larger solid form and
smooth aperture that varies in colour from white, yellow to red and violet, although these
colours tend to fade to grey with age [1]. Lambis scorpio (Linné, 1758) from the Pacific, Lambis
indormaris Abbott, 1960 from the Indian Ocean and Lambis robusta (Swainson, 1821) from the
Society Islands form a natural group with delicate and with a strongly lirate aperture with long
attached spines [1]. Lambis crocata (Link, 1807) which is found throughput the Indo-Pacific and
its sister taxa Lambis pilsbryi Abbott, 1961, which is restricted to the Marquesas Islands, are
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 European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 1, February-2022

recognisable by long smooth legs and orange aperture and form another natural group [1].
Another natural group known for the large solid heavy form is Lambis truncata (Humphrey,
1786) from the east-African Coast and central Indian Ocean and its sister taxa Lambis
sebae (Kiener, 1843) from the Red Sea and Lambis sowerbyi (Mörch, 1872) from the Pacific
[1,3]. Similar to the L. truncata complex is Lambis millepeda (Linné, 1758) and Lambis
arachnoides Shikama, 1971 from the central Indo-Pacific and distinguishable by a lirate
aperture and tendency to have numerous short digitations [1,4]. A consequence of the high
degree of variability within the Lambis, a number of names have appeared in the literature and
they are considered to either refer to hybrids (Lambis cristinae Bozzetti, 1999 = Lambis
indormaris x Lambis lambis; Lambis lilikae Villar, 2016 = Lambis lambis x Lambis sowerbyi) or
forms and colour variants (Lambis adamii Bozzetti & T. Cossignani, 2003 = L. lambis; Lambis
montorum Cossigani and Lorenz, 2020 = L. scorpio).

This paper describes a new species of Lambis from the Philippines and is classified as a
morphological species. The treatment of species or subspecies ranks was based on the
definitions of those ranks by Maxwell and Dekkers [5] and Maxwell et al. [6]. Shell lengths
reflect the total length including digitations.

METHODS
New species material (SMC, AMD, GVC) was obtained at different times from dealers and
directly from fishermen. This material was declared and exported with the appropriate
authority. Once in hand, the material was compared with the syntypes of Lambis lambis (G-M
0010148 Strombus lambis, figure 1) and Lambis millepeda (G-M 0010272 Strombus millepeda,
figure 1) from the Linnean Collection, London, and the illustrated examples of each species
(figure 1) are selected from the collection’s syntypes and herein designated as the lectotypes
for each species. These lectotypes were examined from images and used to formulate the
comparative analysis with the new species. The morphological characters, including the spire,
spines, aperture and shape of the shell features were used to differentiate the new species.

ABBREVIATIONS
AMD Collection of Aart M. Dekkers, Purmerend, the Netherlands
GVC Collection of Goran Vertriest, Kruisem, Belgium
MNHN Collection of Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
SMC Collection of Stephen J. Maxwell, Cairns, Australia

SYSTEMATIC PART
Class: Gastropoda Cuvier, 1797
Order: Sorbeoconcha Ponder & Lindberg, 1997
Superfamily: Stromboidea Rafinesque, 1815
Epifamily: Neostromboidae Maxwell, Dekkers, Rymer, & Congdon, 2019
Family: Strombidae Rafinesque, 1815

Lambis Röding, 1798
Type Species: Strombus lambis Linné, 1758, p. 744, no. 425 [7, p. 66], by absolute tautonymy.
Original Description: “3 Alia digitatis. Mit gespaltenen Flügel” [7, p. 66].

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 Dekkers, A. M., & Maxwell, S. J. (2022). A New Endemic Species of Lambis Röding, 1798 From the Philippines (Mollusca: Neostromboidae:
Strombidae). European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 393-400.

Supplementary Diagnosis: Ovoid, large and sturdy shells with digitations on the edge of the
outer lip. The number of digitations is usually 6 and a “7th” false digitation is the prolongation
of the anterior canal. Typical Lambis species have a smooth columella lacking spiral lirae and
with hardly any lirae on the inside of the labrum. Also, species occur with strong lirae on the
columella and inside of the labrum.

Remarks: Historically the species with strong lirae used to be included in the subgenus Millepes
Mörch, 1852; however more recently, authors have synonymized Millepes with Lambis [8,9].
For the Indian Ocean species with strong lirae, raised callus on the columella and a bifurcated
first digitation, Ophioglossolambis Dekkers, 2012 was introduced [8,9].

Lambis vertriesti n. sp.
Figures 2 and 3

Type Material: Holotype - Nocnocan Island, Bohol, Philippines, 2019, 146.1 mm (MNHN-IM-
2000-37203); Paratype 1 - Banacon Island, Bohol, Philippines 2019, 118 mm (SMC 111.001);
Paratype 2 - Banacon Island, Bohol, Philippines 2019, 127 mm (SMC 111.002); Paratype 3 -
Nocnocan, Bohol, Philippines, 2019, 134.8 mm (GVC A); B) Paratype 4 - Nocnocan, Bohol,
Philippines, 2019, 131.7 mm (GVC C); Paratype 5 - Nocnocan, Bohol, Philippines, 2019, 144.4
mm (GVC D); Paratype 6 - Bohol, Philippines, 2018, 154.5 mm (GVC H); Paratype 7 - Bohol,
Philippines, 2006. 144 mm (AMD STR1458); Paratype 8 - Bohol, Philippines, 2006, 127.5 mm
(AMD STR1601); Paratype 9 - Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, 2007, 113 mm (AMD STR1605);
Paratype 10 - Inabanga, Bohol, Philippines (GVC I); Paratype 11 - Banacon Island, Bohol,
Philippines, 2020, 125 mm (SMC 111.003).

Type Location: Bohol Island, Philippines.

Description: Shell typical ovoid form for a Lambis species, with relative short digits, solid and
heavy. Shell height with posterior spine up to 140 mm, without the posterior spine around 110
mm. Shell bears normally 6 spines on the apertural rim. Anterior spine (anterior channel) ca.
20-25 mm and bending to the left seen dorsally; first thick and quickly turning to slim and
bending like a hook. First digit bends to the right leaning against the apex. The second digit
straight forward or slightly to the left, forming the largest interdigitalis distance with the first
digit and often have a slight ‘V ’ form together. Third digit bends to the left and adapical and
thus forming a 3-dent fork with the first and the second digit. The 4th, 5th and 6th digit relatively
short, evenly spaced and bending to the left and adapical. Dorsally bearing strong ridges with
strong knobs, of which the first ends in the first digit. The second and strongest splits beyond
the whorl into the second, third and fourth digit. The other digits have a ridge each. In between
the primary strong ridges multiple secondary spiral ridges of which some are a bit stronger and
those are ending in a pseudo digit. Strombiodal notch present and on both sides reinforced with
a ridge ending in a small spine. In between the strombiodal notch and the anterior channel a
downward flap with 4-5 fingers. The apex is sharp pointed. The early whorl rapidly widens.
Spire whorls bearing minute spiral lines and axial growth lines; the bottom of each whorl has a
raised ridge with knobs that in the adult stage becomes the ridge to the second, third and fourth
digit. Digits at the underside (ventral side) with a cut in the middle following the length of the
digit; the mark of the retreating mantel that formed the digit. The base of the digit is overgrown
with callus that is put on by the mantel when getting the full adult stage, in lobes form. Only
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 European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 1, February-2022

with the first and second digit a gutter is still visible in the aperture. The slightly bent columella
is bearing a callus pad at the bottom half, normally ca. 1.5 to 2 cm. The upper part of the
columella is decorated with strong lirae. Shorter lirae also in the lower part running from the
callus pad into the aperture. Inside of the labrum with many strong lirae, the ones at the
adapical and the abapical end the strongest. Deeper inside the shell smooth and cream
coloured; before that entrance of the shell a band of about 1 cm of a bit of orange colour. Base
colour of the shell cream-brownish, but darker to almost black is not uncommon; often with
irregular brown flecks. The underside of the digits often light coloured to whiteish. Operculum
as in Lambis lambis: not serrated, dark brown and smooth.

Etymology: The species is named after Goran Vertriest who donated the type material and
offered a number of specimens for examination.

Comparison and Remarks: Lambis lambis is always without lirae in the aperture. This
common species of the genus can also grow much larger, even over 200 mm. Lambis lambis has
two main forms which are sex related: females have a larger and often broader shell with the
digits strongly curving up dorsally; males typically have smaller shell with the digits
horizontally levelled. The new species never has upward curved digits. Lambis lambis typically
has 6 digits.

Lambis millepeda generally bears 9 digits, that are always short especially along the side of the
aperture, and strongly adapical curved. The inside of the aperture is full of lirae, purplish
coloured in freshly caught specimens with often black in between the lirae. The black colour is
always missing in the new species; instead, L. millepeda gets darker purple to blackish. The
purple colour in L. milepeda often loses quickly the bright purple colour and fades to pinkish or
light brown.

DISCUSSION
The Lambis is known to have a number of regional species, and L. vertriesti n. sp. is also highly
localised being from the central Philippines. The Philippines is a hotspot for Lambis with six of
the eleven known species frequenting the region. The small range of the new species highlights
the importance of the central Philippines as a biodiversity hotspot for a wide range of unique
organisms both marine and terrestrial [9-11].

There are two main biogeographic hypotheses seek to explain the high level of biodiversity
[12]: the centre of origin theory; and the centre of accumulation theory. The central Philippines,
has remained relatively stable in terms of land sea boundaries during interglacial fluctuations,
and with many regional currents dominating the archipelago, leading to a centre of regional
maximum diversity, indicating that the centre of accumulation theory may best explain the high
level of biodiversity in the central Philippine region [13,14]. The central Philippines is an
archipelago that is subjected to a number of inflows, from the western Pacific currents and the
South China Sea, with the primary outflow through the Sulu Sea. The inflows into Indonesia
remained relatively stable with changes in sea level, leading to a high degree of shared taxa
having first arisen from that area as exemplified by the new species herein, and supporting it
as a centre of origin on a regional scale [13-15].


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 Dekkers, A. M., & Maxwell, S. J. (2022). A New Endemic Species of Lambis Röding, 1798 From the Philippines (Mollusca: Neostromboidae:
Strombidae). European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 393-400.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Goran Vertriest, Belgium, for donating the holotype and collection information.

References
[1]. Abbott, R.T., The genus Lambis in the Indo-Pacific. Indo-Pacific Mollusca, 1961. 1: p. 147-174.
[2]. Dekkers, A.M., Revision of the family Strombidae (Gastropoda) on the supra specific level. Part1. De Kreukel,
2008. 44: p. 35-64.
[3]. Liverani, V., The superfamily Stromboidea. Addenda and corrigenda. In A Conchological Iconography, Poppe,
G.T., Groh, K., Renker, C., Eds.; Conchbooks: Harxheim, Germany, 2014. 54 pp.
[4]. Shikama, T., On some noteworth marine gastropoda from southwest Japan (III). Science Reports of the
Yokahama National University, 1971. 18: p. 27-35.
[5]. Maxwell, S.J. & A.M. Dekkers, A newname for Altivasum typicum Hedley, 1916 fide Dekkers and Maxwell, 2018
and the description of Altivasum clarksoni nov. sp.. The Festivus, 2019, 51(2): p. 171-176.
[6]. Maxwell, S.J., et al., Defining and bringing relevance of meaning to species group level taxa. Proceedings of the
Biological Society of Washington, 2021. 134: p. 27-28.
[7]. Röding, P.F., Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus Cimeliorum e Tribus Regnis Naturæ quæ Olium Collegerat
Jon. Fried Bolten, M.D.p.d. per X: Pars Secunda Continens Conchylia sive Testacea Univalvia, Bivalvia and
Multivalvia. Typis Johan. Christi. Trappii; Hamburgi, Germany, 1798. 199 pp.
[8]. Dekkers A.M., A new genus related to the genus Lambis Röding, 1798 (Gastropoda: Strombidae) from the Indian
Ocean. Gloria Maris, 2012, 51 (2-3): 68-74. [8 April 2012; title page erroneously dated 11 March].
[9]. Damaška, A.F., D.J. Mohagan, and M. Fikácek, Moss-inhabiting flea beetles in the Philippines (Coleoptera,
Chrysomelidae, Alticinae). ZooKeys, 2020. 960: p. 125–142.
[10]. Maxwell, S.J., et al., Studies in Canarium urceus (Linné, 1758) Part 2: Strombus anatellus Duclos, 1844,
Strombus crassilabrum Anton, 1839, Strombus incisus Wood, 1828 and Strombus ustulatus form laevis Dodge, 1946
(Neostromboidae: Strombidae). The Festivus, 2020. 52(4): p. 335-344.
[11]. Supsup, C.E., et al., Variation in species richness, composition and herpetological community structure across a
tropical habitat gradient of Palawan Island, Philippines. Herpetozoa (Wien), 2020; 33: p. 95-11.
[12]. Gaither, M.R. and L.A. Rocha, Origins of species richness in the Indo-Malay-Philippine biodiversity hotspot:
evidence for the centre of overlap hypothesis. Journal of Biogeography, 2013. 40(9): p. 1638–1648.
[13]. DeVantier, L. and E. Turak, Species Richness and Relative Abundance of Reef-Building Corals in the Indo-West
Pacific. Diversity, 2017. 9(3): 25.
[14]. Yang, Y., et al., Ancient geographical barriers drive differentiation among Sonneratia caseolaris populations
and recent divergence from S. lanceolata. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2016. 7: 1618.
[15]. Carpenter, K.E., et al., Comparative phylogeography of the Coral Triangle and Implications for Marine
Management. Journal of Marine Biology, 2011. 2011: 396982.

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 European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 1, February-2022

Figure 1: Lectotypes from the Linnean Collection, London: A) Lambis lambis (Linné, 1758) (G-M
0010148 Strombus lambis); B) Lambis millepeda (Linné, 1758) (G-M 0010272 Strombus
millepeda) (https://www.linnean.org/research-collections/linnaean-collections)

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 Dekkers, A. M., & Maxwell, S. J. (2022). A New Endemic Species of Lambis Röding, 1798 From the Philippines (Mollusca: Neostromboidae:
Strombidae). European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(1). 393-400.

Figure 2 : Lambis vertriesti n. sp. : A) Holotype - Nocnocan Island, Bohol, Philippines, 2019,
146.1 mm (MNHN-IM-2000-37203); B) Paratype 1 - Banacon Island, Bohol, Philippines 118 mm
(SMC 111.001); C) Paratype 2 - Banacon Island, Bohol, Philippines 127 mm (SMC 111.002)

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 European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 1, February-2022

Figure 3: Lambis vertriesti n. sp.: A) Paratype 3 - Nocnocan, Bohol, Philippines, 2019, 134.8 mm
(GVC A); B) Paratype 4 - Nocnocan, Bohol, Philippines, 2019, 131.7 mm (GVC C); C) Paratype 5 -
Nocnocan, Bohol, Philippines, 2019, 144.4 mm (GVC D); D) Paratype 6 - Bohol, Philippines,
2018, 154.5 mm (GVC H); E) Paratype 7 - Bohol, Philippines, 2006, 144 mm (AMD STR1458); F)
Paratype 8 - Bohol, Philippines, 2006, 127.5 mm (AMD STR1601); G) Paratype 9 - Panglao,
Bohol, Philippines, 2007, 113 mm (AMD STR1605); H) Paratype 10 - Inabanga, Bohol,
Philippines (GVC I); I) Paratype 11 - Banacon Island, Bohol, Philippines 125 mm (SMC 111.003)

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