Phasmoconus ottiliae ( Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 )

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2016, A revision of the Neogene Conidae and Conorbidae (Gastropoda) of the Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 4210 (1), pp. 1-178 : 126-127

Phasmoconus ottiliae ( Hoernes & Auinger, 1879)

Figs 29 G1–G3, 29H1–H3, 30A

[ Chelyconus ] [ Conus ] Ottiliae n. f.— Hoernes 1878a: 195 (nomen nudum).

Conus (Chelyconus) Ottiliae nov. form.— Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 42, pl. 6, figs 12 – 13.

[ Conus ] Stephanoconus ? Ottiliae (H. A.)— Sacco 1893b: 119.

[ Conus ] S.[tephanoconus] Ottiliae var. miolapugyensis Sacc. — Sacco 1893b: 119 (nov. nom pro Conus ottiliae in Hoernes & Auinger 1879 , pl. 6, fig. 13).

? Conus (Chelyconus) ottiliae Hoernes et Auinger, 1879 — Hinculov 1968: 150, pl. 38, figs 2a–b.

? Conus ottiliae Hoernes et Auinger—Csepreghy-Meznerics 1972: 34, pl. 17, fig. 21.

Conus (Chelyconus) ottiliae Hoernes et Auinger 1879 —Bohn-Havas 1973: 1123, pl. 7, figs 7–8.

Type material. 2 syntypes NHMW 1870 /0033/0009, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, figs 12 – 13); middle Miocene, Badenian ( Langhian ).

Studied material. Syntypes and 1 spec. NHMW 1847 /0061/0001, Szob ( Hungary).

Illustrated material. Figs 29 G1–G3: syntype, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania): SL: 24.9 mm, MD: 12.1 mm, NHMW 1870/0033/0009, illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 13) (= holotype of Conus ottiliae miolapugyensis Sacco, 1893 ); Figs 29 H1–H3, 30A: Szob ( Hungary): SL: 23.1 mm, MD: 11.4 mm, NHMW 1847/ 0061/0001.

Revised description. Small biconical shells with low to moderately elevated spire and elongate conical last whorl. Protoconch multispiral. Pointed early spire with beaded whorls; beads become weak during ontogeny; later spire whorls with 5–6 prominent spiral cords; spire weakly gradate; nearly flat sutural ramp; subsutural flexure shallow, weakly curved, moderately asymmetrical. Last whorl elongate, with subangular shoulder, position of maximum diameter slightly below shoulder, faintly constricted. Shell surface glossy, sculpture consisting of about 20 raised spiral cords with spirally elongated beads, being most prominent on lower third of whorl but weak and smooth in upper half of last whorl. Aperture narrow with subparallel margins; siphonal canal short, nearly straight; fasciole very weak. Colour pattern in UV light consisting of two light (fluorescing) spiral lines just below shoulder and at midshell and dots coinciding with sculpture on spire and last whorl.

Shell measurements and ratios. 2 adult specimens: SL: 24.9/ 23.1 mm, MD: 12.1/ 11.4 mm, spire angle: 103°/ 105°), last whorl angle: 34°/33°, LW: 2.06/2.03, RD: 0.58/0.57, PMD: 0.95/0.96, RSH: µ = 0.16/0.14.

Discussion. This species was placed by Tucker & Tenorio (2009) in Conilithes Swainson, 1840 but the shallow subsutural flexure, the elongate conical shape with low spire and the beaded spiral cords on the last whorl do not support this placement. Despite an overall similarity with Conasprella Thiele 1929 , the weakly curved subsutural flexure does not correspond to the other species placed herein in Conasprella . Moreover, it does not plot close to other Conasprella species in the PCA based on shell ratios (fig. 28). Instead, this species plots close to Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus and P. schroeckingeri and agrees with these species in overall outline and subsutural flexure. The only marked difference is the beads on the last whorl. This feature, however, does not contradict a placement in Phasmoconus , as extant species of this genus may form beaded cords as well [e.g. Phasmoconus alabaster (Reeve, 1849) ].

Sacco (1893b) mentioned this species as rare from the Tortonian of Stazzano and Montegibbio and introduced several names for the late Miocene Italian specimens. He even proposed to separate the specimen illustrated by Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 13) as distinct variety Conus ottiliae miolapugyensis , which is unjustified. Therefore, we consider Conus miolapugyensis Sacco, 1893 to be a subjective junior synonym of Conus ottiliae Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 . Conus ottiliae asperula Sacco, 1893 and C. o. ovulatina Sacco, 1893 might be conspecific with the Paratethyan species but we did not study the types in Turin. In any case it is surely incorrect to treat these specimens as Lautoconus pelagicus ( Brocchi, 1814) as proposed by Hall (1966).

Paleoenvironment. The mollusc fauna and lithofacies of Szob suggest a sandy coastal environment with sea grass ( Dulai 1996); there is no information for the other occurrences.

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Carpathian-Foredeep: Ostrava ( Czech Republic) ( Kittl, 1887);? Bükk Mountains: Borsodbóta ( Hungary) ( Csepreghy-Meznerics 1972); Pannonian Basin: Szob, Pécsszaolcs, Ófalu ( Hungary) (NHMW collection; Bohn-Havas 1973); Transylvanian Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus, Coşteiu de Sus ( Hoernes & Auinger 1879; Boettger 1902);? Caransebeş-Mehadia Basin: Valea Bela Reca, Valea Calvei, ( Romania) ( Hinculov 1968). The illustrations in Hinculov (1968) and Csepreghy-Meznerics (1972) do not allow a clear identification and might represent another species as well.

Proto-Mediterranean Sea. Tortonian (late Miocene): Po Basin: Stazzano, Montegibbio ( Saco 1893b).

Figures

FIGURE 29 A 1 – A 3. Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus (Hörnes, 1851), Bujtur (Romania), NHMW 1861 / 0033 / 0001. 29 B 1 – B 3. Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus (Hörnes, 1851), Bujtur (Romania), NHMW 1861 / 0033 / 0001. 29 C 1 – C 3. Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus (Hörnes, 1851), Bujtur (Romania), NHMW A 1608 (poetzleinsdorfensis- morph). 29 D 1 – D 3. Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus (Hörnes, 1851), Bujtur (Romania), NHMW 1861 / 0033 / 0002. 29 E 1 – E 2. Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus (Hörnes, 1851), Bujtur (Romania), NHMW 1836 / 0012 / 0108 a. 29 F 1 – F 3. Phasmoconus fuscocingulatus (Hörnes, 1851. Bujtur (Romania), NHMW 1836 / 0012 / 0108 b (poetzleinsdorfensis- morph). 29 G 1 – G 3. Phasmoconus ottiliae (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1870 / 0033 / 0009, syntype. 29 H 1 – H 3. Phasmoconus ottiliae (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Szob (Hungary), NHMW 1847 / 0061 / 0001. 29 I 1 – I 4. Phasmoconus schroeckingeri (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0040, holotype.