Filling large gaps in distribution areas: the Philinidae of NW Spain

Based on sampling from beaches and shallow water 8 species of Philinidae are recorded from the Cantabrian Sea (NW Spain). Several are first records for NW Spain and/or SW France, filling a large gap in known distribution areas: Philine angulata Jeffreys, 1867, P. denticulata (J. Adams, 1800) and P. intricata Monterosato, 1884. The first records of P. iris Tringali, 2001 from the Cantabrian Sea and western France represent a substantial expansion from its known distribution range. Besides P. quadripartita Ascanius, 1772 all species have shells that are only a few millimetres long which likely caused several to be overlooked. Literature records from deep water bring the total number of species from the study area to 11.