Conus

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2016, A revision of the Neogene Conidae and Conorbidae (Gastropoda) of the Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 4210 (1), pp. 1-178 : 145-146

Conus s.l. posticestriatus Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov, 1960

Figs 30 M, 34E1–E3, 34F1–F3

Conus (Chelyconus) Suessi Varietät III—Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 44, pl. 6. figs 3–4.? Conus an Suessi R. Hoern. i Auinger—Friedberg 1911: 61, text-fig. 15.

? Conus (Lautoconus) posticestriatus Kojumdgieva—Bałuk 1997: 58 , pl. 23, figs 7–8.

non Conus (Chelyconus) suessi var. posticestriatus n. var. —Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960: 212, pl. 50, fig. 3 [? = Conus s.l. sturi ( Hoernes & Auinger, 1879) ].

Type material. Holotype: NHMW 1999 z0077/0024, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 3); middle Miocene, Badenian ( Langhian ).

Studied material. Holotype and 1 spec. NHMW 1854 /0035/0038, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 4).

Illustrated material. Figs 34 E1–E3: Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania): SL: 49.8 mm, MD: 27 mm, NHMW 1999z0077/0024, illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 3); 30M, Figs 34 F1–F3: holotype, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania): SL: 50.4 mm, MD: 25.2 mm, NHMW 1854/0035/0038, illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 4).

Revised description. Medium-sized, biconical, moderately robust shells; tall, mammillate spire, conical with impressed suture; early spire whorls flat, striate with broad tubercles along carina, which is placed at the lower suture on earliest whorls, migrating slightly adapically on later whorls, to be placed a short distance above lower suture, making later whorls weakly angular. Deeply incised, narrow, slightly pitted spiral grooves separate 6 regular, narrow spiral cords on sutural ramp; surface smooth below angulation. Last spire whorl with concave sutural ramp. Shoulder slightly angulated; last whorl weakly convex; subsutural flexure shallow, moderately curved, nearly symmetrical. Aperture moderately narrow, slightly widening anteriorly; very narrow anal notch. Siphonal fasciole and inner lip indistinct; siphonal canal short, feebly reflected; faint spiral threads on base. Colour pattern under UV light consisting of wide-spaced flammulae on shoulder and numerous spirals of close-spaced dashes on last whorl.

Shell measurements and ratios. Holotype: SL: 49.8 mm, MD: 27 mm, spire angle: 80°, last whorl angle: 37, LW: 1.8, RD: 0.66, PMD: 0.86, RSH: 0.18; spire angle: 95°, last whorl angle: 37°; second specimen: SL: 50.4 mm, MD: 25.2 mm, LW: 2.0, RD: 0.64, PMD: 0.85, RSH: 0.22.

Discussion. When introducing Conus suessi var. posticestriatus Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov (1960) designated the specimen illustrated by Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig 3) as the holotype. As already pointed out by Bałuk (1997), the Bulgarian specimen identified by Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov (1960) is not conspecific with the type from Lăpugiu de Sus. The illustrated Bulgarian specimen is fragmentary and seems to represent Conus s.l. sturi ( Hoernes & Auinger, 1879) . Bałuk (1997) applied posticestriatus to shells from the Badenian of Poland, which correspond fairly well with Conus posticestriatus in outline but are rather poorly preserved and thus, the identification remains doubtful. Moreover, the spiral threads on the last whorl are not seen in the Polish specimens.

The stout biconical outline and especially the characteristic deeply incised narrow spiral grooves on the spire of Plagioconus posticestriatus separate it distinctly from Leporiconus suessi . The mode of sculpture formation on the spire whorls differs fundamentally from the striae and cords of other Paratethyan species and characterises this species.

Paleoenvironment. The specimens contained sand with elphidiid foraminifers suggesting a shallow water environment.

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene):? Carpathian Foredeep: Korytnica ( Poland); Transylvanian Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania).

Figures

FIGURE 34 A 1 – A 4. Conus s. l. johannae Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Steinebrunn (Austria), NHMW 1949 / 0005 / 0003. 34 B 1 – B 3. Conus s. l. praelongus Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0034, syntype. 34 C 1 – C 3. Conus s. l. praelongus Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), 0 NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0034 a, syntype. 34 D 1 – D 2. Conus s. l. praelongus Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0034. 34 E 1 – E 3. Conus s. l. posticestriatus Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov, 1960, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1999 z 0077 / 0024. 34 F 1 – F 3. Conus s. l. posticestriatus Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov, 1960, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0038, holotype. 34 G 1 – G 3. Conus s. l. sturi Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0043 b, syntype. 34 H 1 – H 3. Conus s. l. sturi Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0 0 47, syntype. 34 I. Conus s. l. johannae Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Steinebrunn (Austria), NHMW 1869 / 0001 / 0332.