Fusinus ceramidus: Shell of a waxen or brownish yellow color, of a peculiar waxen subtranslucency, nine-whorled, strongly transversely ribbed, with obscure spiral sculpture and an imbricated band in front of the suture. Nucleus white, smooth, small but swollen. Transverse sculpture of seven or eight rounded ribs, stouter and more prominent on the early whorls, and on most of them not quite reaching the suture; also sharpish lines of growth which in front of the suture are elevated into flattish somewhat irregular imbricated scales, forming a narrow band in front of the suture. Spiral sculpture of primary and finer secondary threads, one or two of the former, near the periphery, becoming sharper and more prominent as they pass over the ribs; on the later whorls all the spiral sculpture has a worn or partially obsolete appearance. Aperture large, canal moderate, curved to the left; outer lip not much thickened, internally lirate; a callous ridge on the body, near the outer lip; the inner lip smooth, or with a few lira near the canal. Max. height of shell, 46.5 mm; of last whorl, 32.0 mm; of aperture and canal, 26.0 mm; max. lat. of shell, 18.7 mm.

Type locality: Barbados. 13 11'54"N, 59 38'45"W. depth 134 m.

Description: Shell broadly fusiform, color pale orange-pink to white, length to 51.0 mm, with about 9 10 whorls. Protoconch of about 2 whorls, tip incurved and flat, sides convex but not expanding, first 1-3/4 whorls smooth, glassy, final 1/4 whorl with 2-4 axial riblets, junction with teleoconch distinct. Teleoconch with as many as 8 rounded, subtabulate, rapidly expanding whorls ornamented with axial ribs, spiral cords, and subsutural lamellae. Suture well defined by convexity of surrounding whorls, undulating slightly in accord with adjacent axial ribs and intercostal areas, bordered anteriorly by prominent, densely imbricated axial lamellae beginning on about third teleoconch whorl and continuing to anterior end of body whorl. Axial ribs prominent, broad, extending from suture to suture on first 2-3 whorls, beginning anterior to subsutural lamellae on subsequent whorls; usually 6 ribs on all whorls, less commonly 7 or 8 on penultimate and body whorls of some shells. Spiral cords generally low, broadest atop axial ribs, narrowest near centers of intercostal areas; first three whorls with 2-3 primary cords crossing axial ribs and 3 4 fine threads between cords: primary cords increasing by intercalation to 5 by about whorl 6, third cord strongest, creating shoulder angle on that and subsequent whorls, posterior-most cord weaker than others: about 6 primary cords on penultimate whorl, secondary threads by now weakened and barely perceptible; body whorl subquadrate, defined by shapes of large axial ribs, ribs not continuing onto siphonal process; about 9-11 spiral cords on body whorl, some considerably stronger than others.
Aperture ovate to subquadrate, constricted at posterior sinus and at junction with siphonal canal. Parietal wall thin, smooth, concave, with 1-4 weak, oblique folds near anterior end of columella and rather weak node at edge of posterior sinus, folds and nodes sometimes absent on immature shells. Outer lip thin, broadly arcuate, slightly crenulated by termini of spiral cords, internal wall with about 12-16 lirae, those toward posterior side generally smooth and entire, those toward anterior side often periodically constricted or interrupted as dashes and dots; smooth area separating tips of lirae from edge of outer lip. Anterior end of aperture constricted by anteriormost columellar plica and prominent node on inside of outer labral wall in mature shells.
Siphonal canal of mature shells moderately long, slightly curved and canted to left in apertural view, smooth within; parietal margin distinct, slightly raised, forming narrow pseudoumbilicus near tip; 12—14 thin, oblique spiral cords crossed by numerous fine axial growth increments continuing from base of body whorl to tip.
Operculum of lectotype ovo-elongate, subreniform, dimensions 10.6 x 5.5 mm. corneous, brown, with terminal nucleus; outer surface covered with densely packed microscopic growth lines; inner surface smooth, with large, ovate muscle scar surrounded by thick callus, about 6 distinct concentric growth increments evenly spaced across surface.
Distribution: Western Atlantic Ocean; southern Carib¬bean Sea at Barbados. Colombia. Panama, and Nicaragua; depth range 73-220 m.

Remarks: Shells of Lamellilatirus ceramidus are readily separable from all other western Atlantic Peristerniinae by the combination of characters stated in the generic diagnosis. However. L. ceramidus shells show an interesting resemblance to several species of Fusolatirus from the Indo-west Pacific, especially F. elsiae (Kilburn, 1975) of southeastern Africa. Subsutural lamellae on shells of L. ceramidus are much more prominent than those on shells of F. elsiae. and the radula of F. elsiae is decidedly Peristernia-like, whereas the radula of L. ceramidus is not.

Fusinus ceramidus: This is a peculiar species and easily recognized by the color and imbricated band before the suture.

Fusinus ceramidus: Caribbic. Barbados.