Triphora sceptrum Thiele, 1925

Albano, Paolo G. & Bakker, Piet A. J., 2016, Annotated catalogue of the types of Triphoridae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Museum fuer Naturkunde, Berlin, with lectotype designations, Zoosystematics and Evolution 92 (1), pp. 33-78 : 59

Taxon classification Animalia Caenogastropoda Triphoridae

Triphora sceptrum Thiele, 1925 Figure 26

Triphora sceptrum Thiele, 1925: 130-131 (96-97), plate XXII (X), figures 24 and 24a.

Type specimens.

Lectotype: ZMB/Moll no. 109275, here designated. Paralectotypes A-B: ZMB/Moll no. 109275b-c.

Type locality.

"Station 242 (6°34,8' südl. Br., 39°35,5' östl. L., 404 m Tiefe, bei Daressalam)" [Dar es Salaam, Tanzania].

Original description.

Drei Schalen von Station 242 (6°34,8' südl. Br., 39°35,5' östl. L., 404 m Tiefe, bei Daressalam) haben sehr ähnliche Skulptur, wie die vorige Art [ Triphora regia ], von der sie sich indessen durch das Fehlen des eigentümlichen Glanzes, etwas breitere Form und hauptsächlich durch ganz verschiedene Beschaffenheit der Anfangswindungen unterscheiden. Die größte Schale besteht aus 20 langsam zunehmenden Windungen, die ersten sind wie die übrige Schale weiß, etwas glänzend, zuerst ziemlich groß und rundlich, dann gekielt, ohne oberflächliche Skulptur, die weiteren Windungen zeigen einen etwas welligen Reifen unter der Naht und 2 Reihen starker Knoten, die schräg herablaufenden Falten entsprechen; auf der Rückseite der letzten Windung gehen diese beiden Knotenreihen in einfache Reifen über und unter jeder schiebt sich noch ein Reifen ein, die untere Kante wird durch einen glatten Reifen bezeichnet, unter dem noch ein weiterer sichtbar ist. Spindelfortsatz ziemlich stark gekrümmt, Mundrand oben zurück, unten vortretend, Kanal nicht abgeschlossen. Höhe 13 mm, Durchmesser 2,5 mm.

Translation.

Three shells from station 242 (6°34.8'S, 39°35.5'E, 404 m depth, off Dar es Salaam) have a sculpture very similar to the previous species [ Triphora regia ], from which it is distinguishable by the absence of its peculiar glossiness, its slightly wider shape and mainly because of the different protoconch. The biggest shell has 20 whorls, which slowly increase in size, the first whorls are white like the rest of the shell, a bit shiny; the first whorl of the protoconch is large and rounded, the following whorls have a spiral keel, without any other sculpture; the teleoconch whorls have one spiral cord under the suture and 2 more rows of tubercles, which lie on prosocline axial ribs; on the back of the last whorl there is an additional spiral cord above and below each of the two main rows of tubercles, the lowest cord becomes smooth and forms an angle with the base, and a further cord is visible below this. The siphonal canal is quite strongly curved, the upper part of the aperture has a sinus, and the peristome protrudes significantly, the siphonal canal is not closed. Height 13 mm, diameter 2.5 mm.

Diagnosis.

Lectotype height 12.7 mm. Shell very slender, conical, with slightly rounded whorls. Teleoconch of 17 whorls, which have three tubercled spiral cords well visible since the very first teleoconch whorls. A very fine suprasutural smooth cord is also present. The last whorl has a fourth smooth cord, the base has a further fine smooth cord. On the last whorl a further almost smooth spiral cord is present between the second and the third. An ample posterior siphonal canal is present. The protoconch is paucispiral and composed of three whorls: the first is smooth, while the other two have a single prominent spiral keel. Colour white.

Remarks.

It can be easily distinguished from the previous Triphora regia because of the paucispiral protoconch.