Vetulonia philippinensis, Kiel & Aguilar & Kase, 2020

Kiel, Steffen, Aguilar, Yolanda M. & Kase, Tomoki, 2020, Mollusks from Pliocene and Pleistocene seep deposits in Leyte, Philippines, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 65 (3), pp. 589-627 : 618-619

Vetulonia philippinensis sp. nov.

Fig. 31 .

Zoobank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D0C715F7-098E-412C-81CF-6AD3831BC53C

Etymology: In reference to its origin, the Philippines.

Holotype: NMNS PM 28447 , specimen with the apertural area concealed by sediment.

Type locality: Liog-Liog Point, Leyte, Philippines.

Type horizon: Upper Pliocene part of the Bata Formation.

Material.—The holotype only.

Dimensions (in mm).—NMNS PM 28447, W = 2.5, H = 2.0.

Diagnosis.—Small turbiniform shell, 3¼ evenly convex whorls, sculpture of strongly sinuous axial ribs crossed by very fine spiral striae, umbilicus narrow.

Description.—Minute, turbiniform shell, protoconch about 0.4 mm across, teleoconch of 3¼ whorls, last whorl very large; whorls strongly convex, sculptured by ~20 very distinct, oblique axial ribs reaching into umbilical area, their interspaces about twice of rib width; ribs and interspaces crossed by ~10 very fine spiral threads.

Remarks.— Vetulonia philippinensis sp. nov. differs from the known species of Vetulonia as follows: Vetulonia galapagana is the most similar species but has fewer axial ribs per whorl ( Dall 1913); Vetulonia densilirata Dall, 1927 has a flat spire according to Dall (1927: 120) in contrast to the trochiform shell of Vetulonia philippinensis ; Vetulonia giacobbei Renda and Micali, 2016 has much stronger spiral ornament, giving the whorls an angular appearance; Vetulonia parajeffreysi Absalão and Pimenta, 2005 has a lower spire, and fewer and more oblique axial ribs; and Vetulonia phalcata Warén and Bouchet, 1993 has finer and more numerous axial ribs ( Dautzenberg 1889; Dall 1927; Warén and Bouchet 1993, Absalão and Pimenta 2005; Renda and Micali 2016).

Stratigraphic and geographic range.—Late Pliocene, Leyte, Philippines.

Figures

Fig. 31. The seguenzoid gastropod Vetulonia philippinensis sp. nov. from the late Pliocene seep deposit at Liog-Liog Point, Leyte, Philippines, NMNS PM 28447, apertural (A1) and apical (A2) views.