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A new genus and eight new species of urocyclid snails are described from eastern South Africa. The supra-specific taxa Kerkophorus Godwin-Austen, 1912 and Microkerkus Godwin-Austen, 1912 are considered distinct from Sheldonia Ancey, 1887 and are treated as separate genera. The diagnostic morphological features of all three genera are detailed and a fourth genus, for which there is no existing name, is described as new: Selatodryas gen. nov. A provisional key to genus-level taxa within Sheldonia s.l. is provided. Eight species are described as new: Kerkophorus piperatus sp. nov., K. vittarubra sp. nov., K. scrobicolus sp. nov., K. terrestris sp. nov., Microkerkus sibaya sp. nov., Selatodryas roseosoma gen. et sp. nov., S. luteosoma gen. et sp. nov. and Sheldonia fingolandensis sp. nov.
Seven new species of very small Gulella Pfeiffer, 1856 are described from two regions in the interior of south-eastern South Africa within the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot. In addition, the status of Gulella darglensis benthodon van Bruggen, 1980 is revised and raised to species level. All species are very small-shelled and are narrow-range endemics. Six species, G. judithmastersae sp. nov., G. kevincolei sp. nov., G. hlathikhulu sp. nov., G. nkandla sp. nov., G. mystica sp. nov. and G. libertas sp. nov. are each known from only one locality. The first two as well as G. benthodon and G. mcmasteri sp. nov. are found only in the Amathole Mountains, where poaching, illegal harvesting of plant products and uncontrolled access of cattle take place, including in protected areas. The other four species each occur at one locality in north-central KwaZulu-Natal. The localities of three of the last-mentioned species are in protected areas although they are isolated and surrounded by a heavily transformed cultural landscape rendering enforcement of conservation legislation a challenge. Six species occur in nature reserves, highlighting the importance of small pockets of protected habitat for the conservation of terrestrial snails.
The vetigastropod material collected on Walters Shoal during Cruise MD208 of the Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos programme is documented. In total, 50 species were obtained, 30 of which are new and apparently endemic to the seamount. Of the other 20 species, eight are regionally endemic to the south-western Indian Ocean, 11 are more widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific and one is possibly of deep-water Atlantic origin. The primary affinities of the fauna are with warm temperate South Africa and the tropical western Indian Ocean, but one species is potentially a seamount endemic of southern affinity. A new pseudococculinid genus living on decomposing bird feathers is described, a biogenic substrate association previously unknown in the Mollusca. The following new genera are described: Imbricoscelis gen. nov. and Pterodacna gen. nov. The following new species are described: Akritogyra crenulata sp. nov., Bathymophila williamsae sp. nov., Benthobrookula araneum sp. nov., Be. galeneae sp. nov., Be. laticostata sp. nov., Be. scalaroides sp. nov., Be. semisculpta sp. nov., Bruceina areneformis sp. nov., Calliostoma pantopunctatum sp. nov., Cantrainea herosae sp. nov., Carinastele achrosta sp. nov., Cornisepta marshalli sp. nov., Emarginula lentiginosa sp. nov., E. nodulicostata sp. nov., E. retrogyra sp. nov., E. salebrosa sp. nov., Fluxinella dufresneae sp. nov., Gibbula roseosticta sp. nov., Hadroconus scobina sp. nov., Kaiparathina monticola sp. nov., Lissotesta wareni sp. nov., Microcollonia miniata sp. nov., Mikro crassus sp. nov., Parviturbo cicatricosus sp. nov., Phragmomphalina candida sp. nov., Pterodacna boucheti gen. et sp. nov., Solariella asaphea sp. nov., Spinicalliotropis lepidota sp. nov., Stomatella multilirata sp. nov. and Trenchia mcleani sp. nov. The following new combinations are proposed: Brookula coronis Barnard, 1963 is transferred to Imbricoscelis gen. nov., Cantharidus nolfi Poppe, Tagaro & H. Dekker, 2006 is transferred to Kaiparathina Laws, 1941 and Solariella incisura Melvill, 1909 is transferred to Phragmomphalina Herbert & Williams, 2020. The following new synonyms are proposed: Carinastele wareni Vilvens, 2014 is a synonym of Bruceina cognata (Marshall, 1988); Fluxinella stellaris Bozzetti, 2008 is a synonym of Agagus stellamaris Herbert, 1991.