Conasprella (Boucheticonus) alisi (Moolenbeek, Rockel & Richard, 1995)

Tenorio, Manuel J. & Puillandre, Nicolas, 2023, Revision of the deep-water cone snail fauna from New Caledonia (Gastropoda, Conoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 896, pp. 1-134 : 34-36

Conasprella (Boucheticonus) alisi (R̂ckel, Richard & Moolenbeek, 1995)

Figs 2 , 23–24

Conus alisi R̂ckel et al., 1995a: 579, figs 2, 4–5.

Conus species no. 19 – R̂ckel et al. 1995b: pl. 72 figs 21–22.

Boucheticonus alisi – Tucker & Tenorio 2013: 78. — Monnier et al. 2018a: 207.

Material examined

211 lots (about 495 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Type material

Holotype NEW CALEDONIA • 22.2 mm; Norfolk Ridge , Banc Aztèque, off New Caledonia, stn DW183; 23°18′ S, 168°05′ E; 330–367 m depth; 31 Jan. 1993; SMIB 8 expedition; MNHN-IM-2000-2588 ( Fig. 23A ).

Figured material

NEW CALEDONIA • 20.5 mm; Norfolk Ridge, Jumeau Ouest, off New Caledonia, stn CP3055; 23°42′ S, 168°01′ E; 250–320 m depth; 20 Oct. 2008; TERRASSES expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23B ) • 27.7 mm; off N New Caledonia, stn DW926; 18º57′ S, 163º25′ E; 325–330 m depth; 7 Aug. 1994; BATHUS 4 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23C ) • 25 mm; off New Caledonia, stn DW230; 22º52′ S, 167º12′ E; 390–420 m depth; 30 Sep. 1985; MUSORSTOM 4 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23D ) • 20.3 mm; Norfolk Ridge, off New Caledonia, stn CP806; 23º42′ S, 168º01′ E; 308–312 m depth; 27 Nov. 1993; BATHUS 3 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23E ) • 18.7 mm; Norfolk Ridge, Banc P, off New Caledonia, stn DW1729; 23º20′ S, 168º16′ E; 340–619 m depth; 27 Jun. 2001; NORFOLK 1 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23F ) • 21.7 mm; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN ( Fig. 23G ) • 20.2 mm; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN ( Fig. 23H ) • 18 mm; Norfolk Ridge, Banc P, off New Caledonia, stn DW1728; 23º19′ S, 168º15′ E; 207–276 m depth; 27 Jun. 2001; NORFOLK 1 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23I ) • 19.1 mm; Norfolk Ridge, Banc P, off New Caledonia, stn DW1729; 23º20′ S, 168º16′ E; 340–619 m depth; 27 Jun. 2001; NORFOLK 1 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23J ) • 18 mm; Norfolk Ridge, Jumeau Ouest, off New Caledonia, stn DW3056; 23°42′ S, 168°01′ E; 250–330 m depth; 20 Oct. 2008; TERRASSES expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23K ) • 20 mm; Norfolk Ridge, off New Caledonia, stn DW830; 23º20′ S, 168º01′ E; 361–365 m depth; 29 Nov. 1993; BATHUS 3 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 23L ) • 19 mm; Grand Passage, off N New Caledonia, stn DW2964; 18º18′ S, 162º57′ E; 256–270 m depth; 02 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; Atheris coll. ( Fig. 23M ).

Geographical distribution and bathymetry

New Caledonia: Norfolk Ridge and Grand Passage area, Loyalty Ridge and Coral Sea (Lansdowne Bank and Bellona Plateau), typically at depths between 200–500 m ( Fig. 24 ). This species can be considered endemic.

Remarks

Conical shell small to moderately small (maximum length 30 mm), slightly pyriform. Protoconch ( Fig. 23L ) multispiral, pointed, of 4.5–5 whorls. Protoconch white with a peculiar brown blotch on fourth whorl. Spire slightly stepped, of moderate height, with a slightly convex outline. Radular tooth ( Fig. 23M ) large, very elongated with an extremely long anterior section that is more than four times as long as the posterior section of the tooth. Barb small and indistinct, with a blade that is enlarged and widened laterally. Serrations absent. Waist indistinct. Shaft fold not well developed but present. Slanted base with a large basal spur. This is one of the most abundant deep-water species of Conidae in New Caledonia. In spite of its large multispiral protoconch, the species can be considered endemic. It is highly variable in pattern and color. Pustulose specimens ( Fig. 23I ), with a somehow weird aspect, are not uncommon, but their identification is often confusing. In the phylogeny ( Fig. 2 ), the specimens of C. alisi sequenced form a clade sister to Conasprella cf. pseudokimioi .

Figures

Fig. 2. Cox1-based Bayesian phylogeny. Posterior probabilities (> 0.95) and bootstrap values (> 90) from the ML analysis are provided for each node. Intraspecific relationships are collapsed. Subgenus names are indicated on the right.

Fig. 23. Conasprella (Boucheticonus) alisi (R̂ckel, Richard & Moolenbeek, 1995). A. Holotype, Norfolk Ridge, Banc Aztèque, 330–367 m depth, 22.2 mm (MNHN-IM-2000-2588). B. Norfolk Ridge, Banc Jumeau Ouest, 250–320 m depth, 20.5 mm. C. N New Caledonia, 325–330 m depth, 27.7 mm. D. New Caledonia, 390–420 m depth, 25 mm. E. Norfolk Ridge, 308–312 m depth, 20.3 mm. F. Norfolk Ridge, Banc P, 340–619 m depth, 18.7 mm. G. Same collection data as for specimen F, 21.7 mm. H. Same collection data as for specimen F, 20.2 mm. I. Norfolk Ridge, Banc P, 207–276 m depth, 20.4 mm. J. Same collection data as for specimen F, 19.1 mm. K. Norfolk Ridge, Banc Jumeau Ouest, 18 mm. L. Protoconch of specimen from Norfolk Ridge, 361–365 m depth. M. Radular tooth of a specimen from Grand Passage, 256–270 m depth, 19 mm (Atheris coll.). Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise stated.

Fig. 24. Bathymetric range and distribution map for Conasprella (Boucheticonus) alisi (R̂ckel, Richard & Moolenbeek, 1995). Red circles indicate the points where the species was collected.