Viriola bayani, Marshall Islands

Viriola bayani Jousseaume, 1884
18.7mm

Viriola bayani is moderately uncommon under rocks on lagoon reefs, usually in 5 to 15m of water. For a period of a couple of years, we saw numerous individuals in patches of Halimeda algae on one long sandy lagoon reef, and there they would be considered common. However, for no apparent reason, the population here faded and none were seen there for several years. If we are identifying these correctly, they appear to come in both dark and light color forms. A very similar shell is also figured as Viriola corrugata in gastropods.com. Cernohorsky (1978) figures this shell as Viriola interfilata (Gould, 1851) and states that V. bayani may prove to be a synonym. If they are indeed the same, the Gould name is earlier and would take precedence.