Conus (Plagioconus) sp., 2009

Psarras, Christos, Merle, Didier & Koskeridou, Efterpi, 2022, Late Miocene Conidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Crete (Greece). Part 2, European Journal of Taxonomy 816, pp. 1-70 : 48-52

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2022.816.1747
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C150007D-80F9-4C34-9F85-BDB1211B244D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6497990
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EE28878C-DD2D-5A18-FD35-F9A9CD1CCCFF
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Conus (Plagioconus) sp.
status

Treatment

Conus (Plagioconus) sp.

Figs 30–31 View Fig View Fig , 36 View Fig , 40P–Q View Fig ; Table 14 View Table 14

Conus (Chelyconus) puschi View in CoL – Symeonidis & Konstantinidis 1968: pl. 7 fig. 3 (non fig. 17 = Conus (Plagioconus) aquensis d’Orbigny, 1852 View in CoL ) (non Conus elatus Michelotti, 1847 View in CoL ).

Material examined

GREECE – Crete • 4 specs; Achladhia ; 1964; Nikolaos Symeonidis leg.; AMPG ( IV) 3881 to AMPG ( IV) 3884 • 1 spec.; same collection data as for preceding AMPG ( IV) 3887 • 4 specs; Filippi; 35.035° N, 25.250° E; 2017; Christos Psarras leg.; AMPG(IV) 3890 to AMPG(IV) 3893 GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; same locality as for preceding; Efterpi Koskeridou leg.; AMPG(IV) 3894 • 1 spec.; same locality as for preceding; AMPG ( IV) 3895 • 2 specs; Panassos; 35.130° N, 24.986° E; 2017; Christos Psarras leg.; AMPG(IV) 3896 to AMPG(IV) 3897 GoogleMaps • 2 specs; Psalidha; 35.085° N, 24.962° E; Christos Psarras leg.; 2018; AMPG(IV) 3898 to AMPG(IV) 3899 GoogleMaps • 5 specs; same collection data as for preceding; AMPG ( IV) 3901 to AMPG ( IV) 3905 GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; Tefeli; Efterpi Koskeridou leg.; AMPG(IV) 3906 • 1 spec.; 1990; Action spécifique du Muséum project (1989–1990) exped.; MNHN.F.A83092 • 2 specs; Panassos; 35.130° N, 24.986° E; Didier Merle leg.; MNHN.F.A83094 to MNHN.F.A83095 GoogleMaps • 1 spec.; 1990; Action spécifique du Muséum project (1989–1990) exped.; MNHN.F. A83096 View Materials • 1 spec.; Partira; 1990; Action spécifique du Muséum project (1989–1990) exped.; MNHN.F.A83097 • 1 spec.; Psalidha; 35.085° N, 24.962° E; Didier Merle leg.; MNHN.F.A83098 GoogleMaps .

Shell description

Medium-large-sized shells (SL max.: 76.1 mm). Spire whorls medium to high, with conical outline. Protoconch multispiral. Early spire whorls conical, slightly elevated and beaded, with angulated shoulder. Late spire whorls conical, flat to striated, with straight to convex sutural ramp. Suture incised, of variable depth. Subsutural flexure moderately deep ( Fig. 40P View Fig ) to deep ( Fig. 40Q View Fig ), moderately curved, strongly asymmetrical. Sutural ramp straight to slightly inflated and convex. Shoulder smooth to subangulated. Spiral angulation at shoulder, as separation of last whorl and sutural ramp. Aperture straight, narrow. Last whorl elongated, conical. Fasciole smooth, elongated, slightly twisted. Faint spiral cords at anterior part of last whorl.

Description of colour pattern

The first pattern level consists of an alteration of fluorescent spiral bands, on a non-fluorescent base colour, with one thin fluorescent band at the position of the maximum diameter, another wide fluorescent band near the shoulder of the shell, and, in some shells, a third smaller band present on half of the anterior part of the last whorl ( Fig. 30B View Fig ). The second level consists of rows of dots and dashes, which are axially or spirally arranged on the surface of the shell, on top of the first field. The colour pattern of the spire whorls consists of fluorescent flammulae of irregular width, usually continuing on the last whorl, as axial dots or dashes ( Fig. 30G View Fig ). The pattern is not consistent in all shells, as some shells under the UV light display either faded patterns ( Fig. 30C View Fig ), one pattern on the last whorl ( Fig. 30B View Fig ), or none at all ( Fig. 30D View Fig ).

Remarks

The Cretan specimens are mostly broken, but the remaining shell surfaces are in pristine condition, the beads on the spire whorls are visible and, most importantly, the colour patterns can be distinguished under UV light ( Fig. 31 View Fig ). The specimens of Conus (Plagioconus) sp. display variable shoulder angulation height of the spire ( Fig. 30 View Fig ; Table 14 View Table 14 ). The colour pattern is consistent, with fluorescent bands and occasional spiral or axial dots and dashes. Some of the studied specimens have previously been identified by Symeonidis & Kostantinidis (1968) as Conus puschi , here regarded as a synonym Conus (Plagioconus) elatus Michelotti, 1847. After studying the material, we noticed that the overall spire outline of Conus (Plagioconus) sp. is more straight-sided, than Conus (Plagioconus) elatus Michelotti, 1847 , which has a slightly inflated outline on the middle whorls. The spire of Conus (Plagioconus) elatus then continues to much more pronounced later spire whorls, which is not the case for Conus (Plagioconus) sp. Also, the shells of Conus (Plagioconus) elatus have almost no colour pattern (only flammulae and some blotches on the spire whorl), while the specimens of Conus (Plagioconus) sp. are much more flamboyant. Hall (1966) illustrated specimens of several varieties of other species and considered them as synonyms of Conus aquensis d’Orbigny, 1852 . These specimens are a type specimen of Conus oboesus ? var. paucispirata Sacco, 1893 , a type specimen of Conus oboesus ? var. elatoides Sacco, 1893 , a type of Conus puschi var. pseudobiconica Sacco, 1893 , a type specimen of Conus pushi var. peracutolonga Sacco, 1893 and a type specimen of Conus elatus var. fusuloparva Sacco, 1893 . These specimens have the same conical, elongated spire whorls and angulation at the shoulder as Conus (Plagioconus) sp.

As we had no access to their colour patterns, we cannot check the synonymy of Hall (1966).A comparison with the syntype (MNHN.F. A13061 View Materials ) of Conus (Plagioconus) aquensis ( Fig. 32 View Fig ) from the early Miocene of the Aquitaine Basin shows that Hall’s specimens possess more angulated shoulders, high conical spires and relatively narrower diameters (RD). Two specimens named as Conus puschi from Davoli (1972: pl. 8 figs 17a–b, 19) have an elongated spire similar to that of the studied specimens ( Fig. 30B View Fig 1– C View Fig 2 View Fig ), but the spire whorls are not distinctly elevated and there is a slight angulation at the shoulder. We also wait for their colour pattern descriptions in order to compare to the Cretan specimens.