Splendrillia flavopunctata, Fallon, Phillip J., 2016

Fallon, Phillip J., 2016, Taxonomic review of tropical western Atlantic shallow water Drilliidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Conoidea) including descriptions of 100 new species, Zootaxa 4090 (1), pp. 1-363 : 297-298

Splendrillia flavopunctata , new species

( Plate 151 )

Type material. Holotype 13.9 x 5.1 mm (ANSP 353508); 5 paratypes: 1 spec., 11.8 x 4.2 mm, from the type locality, both F. Sander! (ANSP 353509); 4 spec., 17.4 x 6.2, 18.8 x 6.4, 17.5 x 6.2 & 15.6 x 5.5 mm, in 244–274 m, from inside bottle, Sta. 13-04, off Sea Aquarium, SE Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, 12°04'59.51"N, 68°53'56.61"W, C. Baldwin! aboard Curasub , 8 Feb 2013 (USNM 1231401).

Type locality. Off Holetown, St. James Parish, Barbados, 13°10'52"N, 059°38'30"W, in 155– 174 m.

Range and depth. Barbados; Netherlands Antilles (off SE Curaçao). Reported from 155– 274 m.

Description. Shell small (to 18.8 mm total length), glossy, fusiform, moderately slender with a high spire, whorls up to 11 total, the last approximately 54% of total length;. Whorls convex, periphery below mid-whorl, which appear to sag just above suture; aperture narrow, only a little wider midway than the anterior canal. Protoconch about 2½ smooth round whorls. Axial sculpture of low broad ribs with round crests, about as wide as their interspaces, widest at whorl periphery, 8–11 on the penultimate and 7 on the body whorl to the varix. Axial growth striae weak; strongest on outer lip. Spiral sculpture absent except for the presence of 6 fine threads on shell base and 7–9 on anterior fasciole. Sulcus about ¼-whorl in height, flat, with a few low rib remnants but no other sculpture. Varix hump-like about ⅓-turn from the edge of the outer lip. Outer lip thin, flattened, with 3 strengthening ribs, the larges aligned under the anal sinus; edge folded slightly inward; viewed from its side, edge forms a low arc from, and is congruent with, the anal sinus to the anterior canal, with only a slight dip marking a stromboid notch. Anal sinus deep, U-shaped and adjoining the suture at its apex; a weak parietal callus at its entrance; inner edge flared. Inner lip unemarginate except anteriorly where it is erect alongside the anterior canal. Anterior canal short, but well formed, open and only very slightly notched; anterior fasciole not swollen. Color white with 2 light golden-brown bands in rib interspaces above suture line, both visible on the spire whorls; varix with a reddish brown patch.

Remarks. Taxonomy. Splendrillia flavopunctata has the characteristics of Splendrillia : a bare sulcus, a reverse ”L”-shaped anal sinus, a hump-like varix, and absence of shell microsculpture except on shell base and anterior fasciole. The two types were previously identified on the ANSP data slip as Cerodrillia carminura (Dall, 1889) but lack the cup-handle varix and spout-like anal sinus of Cerodrillia . For reasons stated in the section on C. carminura , the two ANSP lots are not the same as Dall’s original type. Variability. The average total length of six specimens is 15.83 mm (11.8–18.8 mm), the average W/ L ratio 0.354. Identification. Splendrillia flavopunctata is similar to S. interpunctata (E.A. Smith, 1882) , S. panamensis , new species, S. abdita , new species, and S. bahamasensis , new species. It is similar in size to S. interpunctata but differs in having a slightly narrower shell (W/L=0.357 versus 0.429, respectively), less angular whorls, and different coloration. It is similar in size to S. panamensis but its shell is also narrower (W/L=0.357 versus 0.413, respectively), and has less convex whorls. From S. abdita it differs in being larger (15.83 versus 9.67 mm in average total length) and in possessing more convex whorls and a different color pattern. It is similar in size to S. bahamasensis but its shell is also narrower (W/ L = 0.365 versus 0.413, respectively), lacks the heavy growth striae of that species, and has a different color pattern.

Etymology. The Gold-spotted Splendrillia . Derived from Latin flavus, gold colored, and punctatus punctuated. The name was inspired from the two rows of light golden-brown spots between the ribs.

Figures

PLATE 151. Splendrillia flavopunctata, new species. Upper panel. Figs. 1 – 3: holotype, off Holetown, Barbados (ANSP 353508). Fig. 1: ventral, lateral & dorsal views; Fig. 2: enlarged view of protoconch (not to scale); Fig. 3: apical view, V = varix, L = edge of outer lip. Lower Panel. Figs. 4 – 7: paratypes, off Sea Aquarium, SE Curaçao, Neth. Antilles (USNM 1231401). Fig. 8: paratype, from type locality (ANSP 353509).