Clathrocaspia milae

Wesselingh, Frank, Poorten, Jan Johan ter, Kijashko, Pavel, Albrecht, Christian, Anistratenko, Olga Yu, Frolov, Pavel, Gándara, Alberto Martinez, Gittenberger, Arjan, Gogaladze, Aleksandre, Mikhail Karpinsky, Popa, Luis, Sands, Arthur F, Vandendorpe, Justine & Wilke, Thomas, 2019, Mollusc species from the Pontocaspian region - an expert opinion list, ZooKeys 827, pp. 31-124 : 69

Clathrocaspia milae (Boeters, Glöer & Georgiev, 2015)

*2015 Caspia milae Boeters, Glöer & Georgiev in Boeters et al.: 180-183, figs 9-21.

Status. Pontocaspian species, identity uncertain.

Type locality. Bulgaria, Danube Island Vardim (43°37'N, 25°28'E).

Distribution. Only known from type locality.

Taxonomic notes. This species closely resembles C. knipowitschii concerning shape, size, and sculpture. According to Boeters et al. (2015), the two species differ in the degree of cover of the umbilicus, the shape of the peristome and the size and number of whorls of the protoconch. Molecular and/or more in-depth morphological and anatomical studies are required to confirm that these apparently minor differences are sufficient to separate the species.

Remarks. If the species would be confirmed, it concerns a Pontocaspian species whose distribution currently is outside prime Pontocaspian habitat, yet Boeters et al. (2015) implied they would expect that several of the Caspia records from the lower Danube and Razim Lake complex might be attributed to C. milae as well. The Razim Lake complex is Pontocaspian habitat.

Conservation status. Not assessed.