Trifora shepstonensis E.A. Smith, 1906

Albano, Paolo G., Bakker, Piet A. J. & Sabelli, Bruno, 2019, Annotated catalogue of the types of Triphoridae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Natural History Museum of the United Kingdom, London, Zoosystematics and Evolution 95 (1), pp. 161-308 : 161

Trifora shepstonensis E.A. Smith, 1906

Figure 91

Trifora shepstonensis E.A. Smith 1906: 43-44, pl. 7, figs 12, 12a.

Type locality.

Port Shepstone, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Type material.

Lectotype: NHMUK 1906.6.23.11, here designated. Paralectotype: NHMUK 1906.6.23.12 .

Additional material.

Triphora sp. (not Trifora shepstonensis ), NHMUK 1927.2.9.323-325, 3 specimens, Port Alfred , South Africa (coll. Turton) .

Original description.

Testa elongata, subulata, fuscescens; anfractus circiter 15, plani, tricingulati, cingulis plus minus moniliformibus, mediani caeteris minori, in sulcis liris longitudinalibus decussati, ultimus liris 5 ornatus; apertura parva, albida; labrum tenue interdum productum, columellam antice attingens; columella supra arcuata, callo crassiusculo reflexo induta; canalis brevis, obliquus, recurvus. Longit. 10 mm., diam. 2.5.

Hab.- Port Shepstone (Burnup).

The spiral ridges are crossed by oblique shallow sulci so as to produce a somewhat beaded appearance.

Translation of the Latin text.

Elongated shell, subulate, brownish; about 15 flat whorls, with three cords more or less moniliform, the intermediate less than the others, crossed by longitudinal striae inside the cord interspaces, last whorl with 5 cords. Small aperture, white; lip thin sometimes projecting, reaching anteriorly the columella; columella arched above, covered by a rather thick bent callus; anterior siphon short, oblique, curved. Height 10 mm, diameter 2.5 mm.

Diagnosis.

Lectotype 7.9 mm high. Shell slightly cyrtoconoid. Teleoconch of 11 whorls with three spiral cords bearing coalescent tubercles. A very fine smooth spiral cord is visible suprasuturally. Peristome damaged and repaired in the lectotype. Siphonal canal short. Base with a fifth weakly sculptured spiral cord. The apex is very worn in the lectotype, but based on the very broad first teleoconch whorl, the species may bear a paucispiral protoconch. Teleoconch pinkish with a brown suture.

Remarks.

The date of publication of E.A. Smith’s (1906) paper follows Trew (1993). The type collection contained also lot NHMUK 1927.2.9.323-325 (Fig. 91I-K ) whose specimens lack the typical coalescent tubercles of T. shepstonensis and certainly belong to a different species. Therefore, we designated a lectotype which closely matches the original figure to stabilize the nomenclature.

Figures

Figure 91. Trifora shepstonensis E. A. Smith, 1906. A-E, G Lectotype NHMUK 1906.6.23.11, Port Shepstone, South Africa: front (A, B), side (C, D), back (E), aperture (G). F Original figures. H Paralectotype, NHMUK 1906.6.23.12, Port Shepstone, South Africa: front. I-K Triphora sp. (not Trifora shepstonensis), NHMUK 1927.2.9.323 - 325, Port Alfred, South Africa (coll. Turton). L, M Original labels. Scale bars: A-E: 1 mm; G: 0.5 mm.