Tonna cumingii-Cedar Herald Index

Tonna cumingi, common name Cuming's tun, is a species of very large sea snail, a tun snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae, the tuns.

Taxonomy

The species currently referred to as Tonna cumingii (Hanley in Reeve, 1849) was referred to as: Tonna canaliculata (Linnaeus, 1758) by Thach (2005:91, pl. 23, fig. 5) Tonna cumingii 'Reeve' by (a. o.) Hedley (1919:331); Winckworth & Tomlin (1933:209); Hinton (1977:26); Powell (1979:161); Kilburn (1986:4); Thach (2005:91) The species currently referred to as Tonna chinensis (Dillwyn, 1817) was referred to as Tonna cumingii (Hanley in Reeve, 1849) by Springsteen & Leobrera (1986:100, pl. 26, fig. 2)

Tonna cumingii

The species currently referred to as Tonna poppei Vos, 2005 was illustrated by Cernohorsky (1972:111); Hinton (1974:19, fig. 7; 1977:26 fig. 7a) and referred to as Tonna cumingii 'Reeve'

Tonna cumingii

The species currently referred to as Tonna deshayesii (Reeve, 1849) was referred to as Tonna cumingii 'Reeve' by (a. o.) Powell (1979:61); Cernohorsky (1972:112)

Tonna cumingii

Additional information on Cernohorsky (1972:111-112): Whilst showing specimens of Tonna poppei Vos, 2005 on pl. 30, figs 5, Cernohorsky lists this species as Tonna cumingii (Reeve, 1849), with in synonymy: "Synonyms of T. cumingii are deshayesii Reeve, 1849, perselecta Iredale, 1931, and maoria Powell, 1938. Tonna magnifica (Sowerby III 1904) belongs either to T. cumingii or T. chinensis " (fide Cernohorsy, 1972:112)

Distribution

This species is found often off the southern coasts of India and Sri Lanka. Populations of animals with similar-looking shells from New Zealand and Australian waters have been assimilated into this species. Occasional records indicate a possible presence of the species in Philippine waters. Further study on this species should reveal its exact distribution. (Reference: Vos, 2007, A Conchological Iconography - Family Tonnidae)