Triphoris pulchellus A. Adams, 1854

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

Triphoris pulchellus A. Adams, 1854

Figure 7

Triphoris pulchellus Adams 1854: 278, not illustrated.

Type locality.

Not reported.

Type material.

Syntypes: NHMUK 196556: 1 specimen, unknown locality (coll. H. Cuming) .

Original description.

T. testâ subulato-pyramidali, in medio tumidâ fuscâ, serie moniliformi albo ornatâ; anfractibus convexiusculis, triseriatim granuloso-carinatis; granorum serie inferiore prominulâ, superiore multo minore; aperturâ rotundatâ, constrictâ; canali brevi, recurvo.

Hab. -? Mus. Cuming.

A handsome brown species with a white series of bead-like granules at the lower part of each whorl.

Translation of the Latin text.

Subulate-pyramidal shell, tumid in the middle, brown with a white series of bead-like granules; whorls a little convex, with three rows of granulated carinas; granules of the lower row prominent, those of the upper much less prominent; aperture rounded, contracted, anterior siphonal canal short, bent.

Diagnosis.

Syntype 5.8 mm high. Shell conical with flat whorls. Teleoconch of 12 whorls, with three spiral cords forming nodules at the intersection with slightly prosocline axial ribs. The second spiral cord appears at mid-shell height and is very narrow. Between major spiral cords, numerous fine threads are visible. A narrow, smooth, suprasutural cord is visible. Peristome not fully grown on the holotype, but bears at least an additional spiral cord between the second and the third. Siphonal canal short. The base bears two additional smooth spiral cords. Protoconch not present in the holotype, but remains of its last whorl suggest a multispiral protoconch. Teleoconch brown, first teleoconch whorl and spiral cord whitish.

Remarks.

It has been considered a Caribbean species and a synonym of Similiphora intermedia (C.B. Adams, 1850) by Rolán and Fernández-Garcés (2008). However, the species illustrated as S. intermedia by Rolán and Fernández-Garcés (1995) is very different in sculpture and colour. The range of origin of this species remains uncertain.

Figures

Figure 7. Triphoris pulchellus A. Adams, 1851, unknown locality, coll. H. Cuming. A-F, H Syntype NHMUK 196556: front (A, B), side (C, D), back (E), peristome (F), microsculpture (H). G Original labels. Scale bars: A-E: 1 mm; F: 0.5 mm; H: 0.3 mm.