Laeviphitus sp.

Kiel, Steffen, Sami, Marco & Taviani, Marco, 2023, Mollusks (Gastropoda, Bivalvia) from Miocene cold-seep deposits in northern Italy: revisions and additions, European Journal of Taxonomy 910, pp. 115-160 : 130

Laeviphitus sp.

Fig. 6C–E

Laeviphitus sp. Kiel, Sami & Taviani 2018: fig. 6d–e.

Material examined

ITALY – Emilia-Romagna • 2 specs; Santa Sofia; Ca’ Rovereti ; NRM Mo 204837 , Mo 204838 • 2 specs; Ca’ Fornace ; MSF 2139 , MSF 2140 . – Tuscany • 1 spec.; Le Colline ; MSF 1204 (H = 8 mm) .

Description

Protoconch low-turbiniform, sculpture cancellate with numerous closely-spaced, strong, slightly oblique axial ribs crossed by about 10 finer spiral lines; transition to teleoconch straight and abrupt; teleoconch smooth, initially egg-shaped, later whorls becoming taller.

Remarks

Sacco(1895) described and illustrated numerous smooth rissoiform gastropods from the Neogene of northern Italy. Most similar to Laeviphitus sp. is perhaps the rare Miocene Cingula ( Setia ?) taurinomiocenica Sacco, 1895 ( Sacco 1895: 32, pl. 1 fig. 82) (re-illustrated by Ferrero Mortara et al. 1984: pl. 40 fig. 3) from the Turin hills. But Sacco described the protoconch as “depressed”, which seems an unlikely description for the cancellate, low-turbiniform protoconch of Laeviphitus sp. Another similar species is Putilla (Pseudosetia) taurominima ( Sacco, 1895) , though Bałuk (1975: 65) wrote that “no boundary [is] visible between protoand teleoconch”. Members of Laeviphitus have been reported from extant vents and seeps worldwide, and several species are known from the Cenozoic fossil record of Europe, ranging back to the early Paleocene ( Sasaki et al. 2010; Lauridsen & Schnetler 2014; Kiel et al. 2018).

Stratigraphic and geographic range

Middle to Upper Miocene, northern Italy.

Figures

Fig. 6. Neritimorpha Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975 and Caenogastropoda Cox, 1960 from the Calcari a Lucina seep deposits in northern Italy. A–B. The phenacolepid (Neritimorpha) Thalassonerita megastoma Moroni, 1966, Le Colline (MSF 1223), internal mold showing columellar muscle scars. C–E. The elachisinid (Caenogastropoda) Laeviphitus sp. C. Small specimen with preserved protoconch, from Ca’ Rovereti (NRM Mo 204837). D. Close-up on transition between proto- and teleoconch, from Ca’ Rovereti (NRM Mo 204838). E. Tall specimen (MSF 1204) from Le Colline. F–G. Naticidae indet. sp. 1. F. Shell embedded in rock matrix, from Castiglion dei Pepoli (MGGC 22304). G. Operculum (MSF 1218). H. Naticidae indet. sp. 2 from Guzzano (MGGC 22305). I–K. Pisanianura? pusilla Bellardi 1872, from Castel di Casio. I. Specimen with remains of siphonal canal and shell sculpture (MGGC 22306). J. Small, internal mold (MGGC 22307). K. Large specimen with preserved shell (MGGC 22308). L. Semicassis aff. reticulata (Bellardi & Michelotti, 1840), Castiglion dei Pepoli (MGGC 22310).