Leporiconus transsylvanicus ( 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 : 101

Leporiconus transsylvanicus ( Hoernes & Auinger, 1879)

Figs 17 M, 23I1–I5, Figs 23 J1–J3

[ Chelyconus ] [ Conus ] Transsylvanicus n. f.— Hoernes 1878a: 195 (nomen nudum). Conus (Chelyconus) Transsylvanicus nov. form.— Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 41, pl. 1, fig. 14. [ Conus ] C. [helyconus] transsilvanicus [sic] H. et A.— Sacco 1893b: 64, 67.

Type material. Syntype NHMW 1854 /0035/0034a, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 1, fig. 14) ; 4 syntypes NHMW 1854 /0035/0034, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania); middle Miocene, Badenian ( Langhian ).

Studied material. Syntypes.

Illustrated material. Figs 23 I1–I5, 17M: syntype, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania): SL: 49.8 mm, MD: 21.5 mm, NHMW 1854/0035/0034a, illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 1, fig. 14); Figs 23 J1–J3: syntype, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania): SL: 52.5 mm, MD: 21.2 mm, NHMW 1854/0035/0034.

Revised description. Medium-sized torpedo-shaped shells; broad mammillate spire with pointed apex and strongly tuberculate above suture on early whorls; later spire whorls nearly flat, striate; suture impressed; subsutural flexure shallow, weakly curved, moderately asymmetrical. Indistinct shoulder coinciding with position of maximum diameter. Last whorl narrowly elongate, faintly convex, weakly constricted close to moderately long, slightly recurved siphonal canal. Aperture narrow, only slightly widening towards siphonal canal. Siphonal fasciole indistinct, twisted, poorly demarcated from thin, narrow inner lip. Sculpture of last whorl consisting of pustulose cords on lower half of whorl, becoming very weak and smooth in upper part. Colour pattern under UV light consisting of weak flammulae on shoulder and narrow spirals of long dashes and speckles forming nearly continuous spiral lines on last whorl.

Shell measurements and ratios. n = 5: largest specimen: SL: 52.5 mm, MD: 21.2 mm, mean SL: 47.1 mm (σ = 5.8), mean MD: 19.9 mm (σ = 2.1), spire angle: µ = 84.6° (σ = 4.5°), last whorl angle: µ = 29.2° (σ = 1.5°), LW: µ = 2.4 (σ = 0.08), RD: µ = 0.51 (σ = 0.02), PMD: µ = 0.87 (σ = 0.04), RSH: µ = 0.17 (σ = 0.02).

Discussion. This rare species agrees in all aspects with the definition of Leporiconus Iredale, 1930 by Tucker & Tenorio (2009). Aside from the general shell shape with the typical dome-shaped spire, especially the pustulose spiral cords, the tuberculate early spire whorls, the striate spire whorls and the shallow subsutural flexure support the placement in this genus. It differs from its Paratethyan congeners in being more elongated and obviously torpedo-shaped and in having a domed spire with a pointed tip. Among the modern representatives of this genus, the Indo-West Pacific species Leporiconus tenuistriatus ( Sowerby II, 1858), Leporiconus granum ( Röckel & Fischöder, 1985) and Leporiconus nucleus ( Reeve, 1848) are highly reminiscent of L. transsylvanicus .

Paleoenvironment. No information.

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Transylvanian Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Hoernes & Auinger 1879).

Figures

FIGURE 23 A 1 – A 3. Leporiconus paratethyianus nov. sp., Letkés (Hungary), NHMW 2016 / 0005 / 0001, holotype. 23 B 1 – B 3. Leporiconus paratethyianus nov. sp., Letkés (Hungary), NHMW 2016 / 0005 / 0002, paratype. 23 C 1 – C 2. Leporiconus paratethyianus nov. sp., Letkés (Hungary), NHMW 2016 / 0005 / 0003 a, paratype. 23 D 1 – D 2. Leporiconus suessi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1858 / 0043 / 0001 b, syntype. 23 E 1 – E 2. Leporiconus suessi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW A 457, syntype. 23 F 1 – F 3. Leporiconus suessi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1858 / 0043 / 0001 a, syntype. 23 G 1 – G 2. Leporiconus suessi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1865 / 0001 / 0158. 23 H. Leporiconus suessi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1865 / 0001 / 0158. 23 I 1 – I 5. Leporiconus transsylvanicus (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0034 a, syntype. 23 J 1 – J 3. Leporiconus transsylvanicus (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania). NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0034, syntype.