A revision of the Neogene Conidae and Conorbidae (Gastropoda) of the Paratethys Sea
Harzhauser, Mathias
Landau, Bernard
Zootaxa
2016
4210
1
1
178
68c4ce74-e281-4575-8787-6441c63d60d8
Monterosato, 1923
Monterosato
1923
[237,621,836,862]
Gastropoda
Conidae
Lautoconus
CoL
Animalia
Neogastropoda
73
74
Mollusca
genus
Type species (by original designation): Conus mediterraneusHwass in Bruguière, 1792. Recent, Mediterranean Sea. Note. Tucker & Tenorio (2009)gave few shell features by which to distinguish members of the genus Lautoconus Monterosato, 1923. The shells are turgid in shape with convex sides. The protoconch is paucispiral. The whorl tops are ornamented with cords that reach the middle spire whorls and often persist. The subsutural flexure is shallow to moderate in depth. Puillandre et al. (2014a, b) synonymized Varioconusda Motta, 1991with Lautoconus Monterosato, 1923based on molecular data. According to Tucker & Tenorio (2009)the genus Varioconusda Motta, 1991is characterised by shells with smooth spire whorls, a rounded, indistinct shoulder, a shallow subsutural sinus and a paucispiral protoconch. For their molecular phylogeny Puillandre et al. (2014a, b) analysed numerous species, traditionally placed in Lautoconusbut only two species, which are listed as Varioconusby Tucker & Tenorio (2009)( Conus xicoi Röckel, 1987and C. franciscoi Rolán & Röckel, 2000). Unfortunately, Conus variegatus Kiener, 1845, the typespecies of Varioconus, is missing from their analysis. Therefore, the synonymization remains debateable. The main difference in shell characters listed by Tucker & Tenorio (2009)is the presence of cords on Lautoconusand their absence in Varioconus. The characteristic pyriform outline of most species placed in Varioconusis not a distinguishing feature but may also be developed by Lautoconusspecies such as Lautoconus mercator(Linnaeus, 1758). The radula morphologies as described by Tucker & Tenorio (2009)do not require a separation and their West African geographic distribution is identical. Consequently, we follow Puillandre et al. (2014a, b) and treat Varioconusas subjective junior synonym of Lautoconus. The genus Lautoconusis represented in the middle Miocene Paratethys Sea by several species, which comprise moderately small to moderately large and medium-wide to wide shells with low to medium high spires; spiral cords on the sutural ramp may be present or replaced by faint spiral threads. The subsutural flexures are variable in depth, ranging from very shallow to deep, are usually moderately curved and moderately asymmetrical. To our knowledge, none of the extant Lautoconus(and Varioconus) species has a tuberculate early spire or develops nodes. Therefore, we exclude tuberculate species from Lautoconus.