DEEP-SEA GASTROPODS FROM THE NEW-ZEALAND REGION ASSOCIATED WITH RECENT WHALE BONES AND AN EOCENE TURTLE

Five species of gastropods are newly recorded from decaying whale bone from the deep-sea floor off New Zealand: Paracocculina cervae (Flemin g, 1948), and new species of Osteopelta, Marshall, 1987 (Cocculiniform ia), Bruceiella Waren & Bouchet, 1993 (Vetigastropoda), and Xylodiscul a Marshall, 1988 (Heterobranchia). Recently discovered material of Ost eopelta mirabilis is recorded, and this or a closely similar species i s recorded associated with turtle bones from the Middle Eocene of New Zealand. The new Bruceiella and Xylodiscula species are the first reco rds of skeneimorph gastropods from bone. Apart from whale bone, Paraco cculina cervae is associated with sunken wood and algal holdfasts (new record), so it has the most generalised habitat of any known cocculin iform limpet.