MORCHS WORM-SNAIL TAXA (CAENOGASTROPODA, VERMETIDAE, SILIQUARIIDAE, TURRITELLIDAE)

Otto March's (1828-1878) marine caenogastropod ''worm-snail'' taxa are reviewed based upon research on his published descriptions and origin al material deposited in museum collections in Copenhagen, Berlin, and London. Morch's publications introduced more than 220 new names for V ermetidae sensu lato (now members of Vermetidae, Siliquariidae, and Tu rritellidae), ranging from regular genus- and species-group names to ' 'formae'' and ''varieties'' of unsettled status. Previous claims that Morch's complex taxonomic treatment might not be binominal are refuted . Nine genus-group names and 50 species-group names were introduced by March for worm-snails and each is discussed. Over 160 ''varieties'' a nd ''forms'' were not introduced as taxonomic names but as morphologic al descriptions and are rejected as having no nomenclatural status. Si liquaria lactea Lamarck, 1818, is designated as type species for Pyxip oma March, 1861 (Siliquariidae).