Lautoconus ponderosus ( Brocchi, 1814 )

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2016, A revision of the Neogene Conidae and Conorbidae (Gastropoda) of the Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 4210 (1), pp. 1-178 : 87-88

Lautoconus ponderosus ( Brocchi, 1814)

Figs 19 B1–B3, 19C1–C3

Conus ponderosus nob.— Brocchi 1814: 293, pl. 3, fig. 1.

Conus ponderosus Brocc. —Hörnes 1851: 26, pl. 2, figs 6a–b.

Conus (Rhizoconus) ponderosus Brocc. — Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 38 (partim, non figs.).

Conus ponderosus Brocc. F. elmenus De Greg. — De Gregorio 1885: 369 [nov. nom. pro Conus ponderosus in Hörnes 1851 , pl. 2, fig. 6].

Conus ponderosus Brocchi, 1814 — Krach 1981: 77, pl. 20, figs 17–19, 21 [non fig. 20, pl. 21, figs 6–9].

Conus (Chelyconus) ponderosus Brocchi, 1814 — Bałuk 1997: 62, pl. 22, fig. 9.

Varioconus ponderosus ( Brocchi, 1814) — Kovács & Vicián 2013: 87 (partim), fig. 139.

non Conus (Lithoconus) ponderosus Brocchi, 1814 — Moisescu 1955a: 164, pl. 14, figs 10–11.

non Conus ponderosus Brocc. — Eremija 1959: 187, pl. 1, figs 5-5a [? Kalloconus ponderoaustriacus (Sacco, 1893) ]

Type material. Lectotype (following ICZN Article 74.6), Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, catalogue number 4674, illustrated in Brocchi (1814, p. 293, pl. 3, fig. 1) and Pinna & Spezia (pl. 18, figs 1-1a), Parlascio, Colle, San Geminiano, Sogliano or Piacentino ( Italy), Pliocene. The type locality of Conus elmenus De Gregorio, 1885 , considered to be a junior synonym of C. ponderosus , is the middle Miocene locality Steinebrunn in Austria .

Studied material. 1 spec. GBA 1856/004/0001/01, Steinebrunn ( Austria), illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 2, fig. 6, = holotype of Conus elmenus De Gregorio, 1885 ); 2 spec . NHMW 1846 /0037/0064, Steinebrunn ( Austria) ; 1 spec. NHMW 1860 /0001/0051, Grund , ( Austria) .

Illustrated material. Figs 19 B1–B3: Steinebrunn (Austria), SL: 70.0 mm, MD: 36.3 mm: NHMW 1846/0037/ 0064; Figs 19 C1–C3: Steinebrunn (Austria): SL: 88 mm, MD: 49 mm, GBA 1856/004/0001/01, illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 2, fig. 6).

Revised description. Moderately large shells with low-medium conical to slightly cyrtoconoid spire; incised suture; spire whorls nearly flat or weakly convex, adapically concave; with faint spiral threads. Subsutural flexure shallow, moderately curved, moderately asymmetrical. Last spire whorl forming a nearly flat sutural ramp passing via a weakly angulated shoulder on the elongate conical last whorl; position of maximum diameter slightly below angulation. Base slightly constricted with weak spiral grooves; indistinct siphonal fasciole well demarcated from narrow inner lip. Siphonal canal moderately long, somewhat reflected. No colour pattern preserved.

Shell measurements and ratios. 3 specimens: SL: 88/71.0/70.0 mm, MD: 49/41.5/ 36.3 mm, spire angle: 107/ 93/100°, last whorl angle: 35/36/36°, LW: 1.80/1.71/1.93, RD: 0.65/0.74/0.62, PMD: 0.90/0.91/0.91, RSH: 0.15/ 0.21/0.16.

Discussion. This species is rather rare in the Paratethyan basins. Only few specimens from Steinebrunn ( Austria) agree with Miocene and Pliocene specimens as described by Hall (1966) and Davoli (1972). Several additional specimens from Poland and Hungary described by Krach (1981) and Kovács & Vicián (2013) might need confirmation. Herein we follow Hall (1966) in treating the Paratethyan shells described by Hörnes (1851) as conspecific with Conus ponderosus . Consequently, we consider Conus elmenus , which was introduced by De Gregorio (1885) as new name for the specimen illustrated by Hörnes (1851, pl. 2, fig. 6), as subjective junior synonym of Conus ponderosus Brocchi, 1814 . Nevertheless, the species concept of Hall (1966) was too wide and we reject his decision to treat Conus olivaeformis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 and C. transsylvanicus Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 as synonyms of C. ponderosus (see discussions of respective species).

Paleoenvironment. Shallow marine environments (e.g. Letkés, Kovács & Vicián 2013).

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Vienna Basin: Steinebrunn ( Austria) (Hörnes 1851); Pannonian Basin: Letkés ( Kovács & Vicián 2013); Carpathian Foredeep: Korytnica, Węglinek, Łychów ( Poland) ( Bałuk 1997).

Proto-Mediterranean Sea and north eastern Atlantic. Tortonian (late Miocene): Po Basin: Montegibbio ( Italy) ( Davoli 1972); Pliocene: Po Basin, Toscana ( Italy) ( Pinna & Spezia 1978; Chirli 1997).

Figures

FIGURE 19 A 1 – A 4. Lautoconus pelagicus (Brocchi, 1814), Bujtur (Romania), NHMW 1861 / 0035 / 0004. 19 B 1 – B 3. Lautoconus ponderosus (Brocchi, 1814), Steinebrunn (Austria), NHMW 1846 / 0037 / 0064. 19 C 1 – C 3. Lautoconus ponderosus (Brocchi, 1814), Steinebrunn (Austria), GBA 1856 / 004 / 0001 / 01.