Three new species of Solen (Bivalvia: Solenidae) from the Indian Ocean, with remarks on the Solenidae of Madagascar

Three new species of SolenSo!es are described: Solen crosnieri n. sp. and S. madagascariensis n. sp. from Madagascar and S. dactylus n. sp. from the northern part of the Arabian Gulf, Iran and Pakistan. S. crosnieri is small, curved, with length/width ratio 5.8:1, S. madagascariensis is medium-sized, straight, with length/width ratio 5.5:1 and a conspiculously large distance between posterior adductor scar and pallial sinus. S. dactylus is large, straight, with length/width ratio 5.7:1 and has a sharp furrow parallel to the anterior margin. The genus Solen in Madagascar comprises five species: besides the two new species S. cylindraceus (Hanley, 1843), S. roseomaculatus Pilsbry, 1901 and Solen sp. aff. sloani Gray in Hanley, 1842.