Conasprella (Fusiconus) ichinoseana ( Kuroda, 1956 )

Tenorio, Manuel J. & Puillandre, Nicolas, 2023, Revision of the deep-water cone snail fauna from New Caledonia (Gastropoda, Conoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 896, pp. 1-134 : 64-67

Conasprella (Fusiconus) ichinoseana ( Kuroda, 1956)

Figs 2 , 47–48

Asprella (Conasprella?) ichinoseana Kuroda, 1956: 10 , pl. 1. fig. 5.

Conus ichinoseana – R̂ckel et al. 1995b: no. 263, pl. 56 figs 13–15.

Endemoconus ichinoseana – Tucker & Tenorio 2013: 225.

Fusiconus (Fusiconus) ichinoseana – Monnier et al. 2018a: 160.

Material examined

24 lots (33 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Type material

Holotype JAPAN • 58 mm; off Tosa ; NSMN NC-H330 ( Fig. 47A ).

Figured material

NEW CALEDONIA • 34 mm; Plateau des Chesterfield , off New Caledonia, stn DW2612; 19º35′ S, 158º41′ E; 392 m depth; 19 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47B ) • 50 mm; Grand Passage , off New Caledonia, stn CP2957; 18º57′ S, 163º16′ E; 450‒460 m depth; 1 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47C ) • 46.2 mm; Grand Passage , off New Caledonia, stn DW908; 18º58′ S, 163°11′ E; 502‒527 m depth; 4 Aug. 1994; BATHUS 4 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47D ) • 35.9 mm; Grand Passage , off New Caledonia, stn CP2958; 18º58′ S, 163º15′ E; 432‒448 m depth; 1 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47E ) • 47.8 mm; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN ( Fig. 47F ) • 32.5 mm; Grand Passage , off New Caledonia, stn CP2957; 18º57′ S, 163º16′ E; 450‒460 m depth; 1 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47G, L ) • 51.6 mm; off New Caledonia , stn CC201; 18º56′ S, 163º14′ E; 490 m depth; 3 Oct. 1985; MUSORSTOM 4 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47H ) • 49.6 mm; off New Caledonia , stn CC246; 22º08′ S, 167º11′ E; 410‒420 m depth; 3 Oct. 1985; MUSORSTOM 4 expedition; MNHN-IM-2009-29244 ( Fig. 47I ) • 40 mm; along passe Yaté , off New Caledonia, stn CP3836; 22°08′ S, 167°11′ E; 415‒420 m depth; 9 Sep. 2011; EXBODI expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47J ) • 26.8 mm; N Bellona , off New Caledonia, stn DW2578; 20º21′ S, 158º40′ E; 440‒505 m depth; 14 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 47K ) • 34 mm; Grand Passage , off New Caledonia, stn CP2957; 18º57′ S, 163º16′ E; 450‒460 m; 1 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; Atheris coll. ( Fig. 47M ) .

Geographical distribution and bathymetry

From Japan to the Philippines and Vietnam at depths of 80‒ 575 m. In New Caledonia, Loyalty Ridge and the Coral Sea, specimens have been sampled at depths between 200 and 600 m. Also reported from NW Australia.

Remarks

Shell medium-sized to large (maximum shell length mm 105 mm), narrowly conical with a high, stepped spire of outline almost straight. Protoconch multispiral of about 3 whorls ( Fig. 47L ). Last whorl with punctate spiral grooves and ribbons in between. Radular tooth ( Fig. 47M ) with a short barb and a pointed blade covering about one third of the anterior section, which is much shorter than the posterior section. Shaft fold present. Basal spur is present on top of the slanted base. Specimens of C. ichinoseana from different localities ( New Caledonia, Coral Sea, Philippines, Taiwan) are clustered together in the phylogeny ( Fig. 2 ).

Conasprella (Fusiconus) saecularis ( Melvill, 1898)

Fig. 43I–K, M , 49

Conus (Leptoconus) saecularis Melvill, 1898: 10 , pl. I fig. 23.

Conus schepmani Fulton 1936: 7 .

Conus elegans (non Conus elegans G.B. Sowerby III, 1895 ) – Schepman 1913: 393, pl. 25 fig. 4. Conus saecularis – R̂ckel et al. 1995b: no. 265, pl. 56 figs 21–27.

Bathyconus saecularis – Tucker & Tenorio 2013: 356.

Fusiconus (Bathyconus) saecularis – Monnier et al. 2018a: 169.

Material examined

6 lots (6 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Type material

Syntype OMAN • 29 mm; Malcolm Inlet (Ghubbat al Ghazira), Persian Gulf; 44 m depth; NHMUK ( Fig. 43I ) .

Figured material

NEW CALEDONIA • 24 mm; W Île des Pins, off New Caledonia, stn CP4655; 22°31′ S, 167°04.2′ E; 79 m depth; 10 Aug. 2016; KANACONO expedition; MNHN-IM-2013-68093 ( Fig. 43J ) • 32.3 mm; S Lansdowne Bank, off New Caledonia, stn DW4982; 20°46′ S, 160°57′ E; 360‒400 m depth; 10 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHN-IM-2016-4388 ( Fig. 43K ).

PHILIPPINES • 34 mm; ER coll. ( Fig. 43M ).

Geographical distribution and bathymetry

Gulf of Oman, W Thailand and NE Malaysia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Philippines, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, at depths between 85‒ 400 m. It has also been cited from Fiji at depths of 35‒51 m ( Moolenbeek et al. 2008), and from Bayonnaise Bank, Wallis & Futuna, dead at depths between 425‒430 m (Moolenbeek & R̂ckel 1996). The few specimens from New Caledonia have been sampled around Île des Pins and sites in Norfolk Ridge, but also in N New Caledonia and in the Coral Sea (Lansdowne Bank) at depths between 200 and 400 m.

Remarks

Small to medium-sized (maximum length 40 mm) narrowly conical shell, with a moderate to high stepped spire of concave outline. Protoconch multispiral of 3‒3.5 whorls. Radular tooth ( Fig. 43M ) small, with a barb, a pointed blade, and a very small pointed posterior blade, difficult to detect. The anterior section of the tooth is much shorter than the posterior section. Shaft fold present, blunt at its anterior end. Basal spur is present on top of the slanted base. In the phylogeny, the single specimen from New Caledonia sequenced appears together with other specimens of C. saecularis from Papua New Guinea. Specimens of C. saecularis from the type locality have not been sequenced. Hence, the conspecificity with individuals from other localities within the distribution range remains to be confirmed.

Figures

Fig. 2. Cox1-based Bayesian phylogeny. Posterior probabilities (> 0.95) and bootstrap values (> 90) from the ML analysis are provided for each node. Intraspecific relationships are collapsed. Subgenus names are indicated on the right.

Fig. 47. Conasprella (Fusiconus) ichinoseana (Kuroda, 1956). A. Holotype, off Tosa, Japan, 58 mm (NSMN NC-H330). B. Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, 392 m depth, 34 mm. C. Grand Passage, 450‒460m depth, 50 mm. D. Grand Passage, 502‒527 m depth, 46.2 mm. E. Grand Passage, 432‒448 m depth, 35.9 mm. F. Same collection data as for specimen E, 47.8 mm. G. Same collection data as for specimen C, 32. 5 mm. H. Off New Caledonia, 490 m depth, 51.6 mm. I. Off New Caledonia, 410‒420 m depth, 49.6 mm. J. Along passe Yaté, 415‒420 m depth, 40 mm (MNHN-IM-2009-29244). K. Coral Sea, N Bellona, 440‒505 m depth, 26.8 mm. L. Protoconch of specimen G. M. Radular tooth of specimen from Grand Passage, 450‒460 m depth, 34 mm. Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise stated.

Fig. 48. Bathymetric range and distribution map for Conasprella (Fusiconus) ichinoseana (Kuroda, 1956). Red circles indicate the points where the species was collected.

Fig. 43. A–H. Conasprella (Fusiconus) comatosa (Pilsbry, 1904). A. Holotype, Kikai Island, Ryukyu Islands, 43.5 mm (ANSP 85950). B. Coral Sea, S Lansdowne, 297‒378 m depth, 46.8 mm. C. Norfolk Ridge, Banc Antigonia, 266‒276 m depth, 40 mm. D. SE Terrasses, 190‒200 m depth, 37.6 mm. E. Same collection data as for specimen D, 39.5 mm. F. Baie du Santal, 120‒250 m depth, 37.7 mm. G. Norfolk Ridge, Banc Munida, 295‒330 m depth, 41.8 mm. H. Protoconch of a specimen from stn DW1650, LIFOU 2000 exp. – I–K. Conasprella (Fusiconus) saecularis (Melvill, 1898). I. Syntype, Oman, Malcolm Inlet (Ghubbat al Ghazira), Persian Gulf, 44 m depth, 29 mm (NHMUK). J. W Île des Pins, off New Caledonia, 79 m depth, 24 mm (MNHN-IM-2013-68093). K. S Lansdowne Bank, 360‒400 m depth, 32.3 mm (MNHN-IM-2016-4388). – L. C. (F.) comatosa. Radular tooth of a specimen from the Philippines, 34 mm (ER coll.). – M. C. (F.) saecularis. Radular tooth of a specimen from the Philippines, 34 mm (ER coll.) Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise stated.

Fig. 49. Bathymetric range and distribution map for Conasprella (Fusiconus) saecularis (Melvill, 1898). Red circles indicate the points where the species was collected.