Triphora innocens Thiele, 1925

Albano, Paolo G. & Bakker, Piet A. J., 2016, Annotated catalogue of the types of Triphoridae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Museum fuer Naturkunde, Berlin, with lectotype designations, Zoosystematics and Evolution 92 (1), pp. 33-78 : 40

Taxon classification Animalia Caenogastropoda Triphoridae

Triphora innocens Thiele, 1925 Figure 8

Triphora innocens Thiele, 1925: 127 (93), plate XXII (X), figures 13 and 13a.

Type specimens.

Lectotype ZMB/Moll no. 109264a (from Station 95), here designated. Further two badly preserved specimens in lot from station 95, two specimens from station 105 and 3 specimens from station 106 whose conspecificity is questionable (see Remarks).

Type locality.

"Station 95 [34°51' südl. Br., 19°37,8' östl. L., 80 m Tiefe, bei Cap Agulhas] und von Station 106 (35°26,8' südl. Br., 20°56,2' östl. L., Agulhas-Bank)" (South Africa).

Original description.

Einige mangelhaft erhaltene Schalen von derselben Station 95 und von Station 106 (35°26,8' südl. Br., 20°56,2' östl. L., Agulhas-Bank) gehören zu derselben Gruppe, wie die vorige Art [ Triphora dilecta ], sind aber durch 3 gleichstarke Reifen ausgezeichnet in Verbindung mit ihrer weißen Färbung; die vorher genannte Triphora cingulata A. Ad. ist grau, ihr Mittelreifen schwächer als die beiden anderen und die Zwischenräume sind stark längsgestreift, danach kann sie nicht unsere Art sein. Nach dem vorliegenden Material kann ich die Zahl der Windungen nicht sicher angeben, bei dem in Figur 13 dargestellten Endstück dürfte sie 12-13 betragen. Die mehr oder weniger aufgetriebene Anfangswindung zeigt schon die Reifen, die bis zum Ende verlaufen, die unteren Windungen lassen noch einen Teil eines vierten Reifens erkennen, dem sich die folgende anheftet, und bei der letzten sind an der Unterseite noch 2 Reifchen sichtbar, so daß diese im ganzen 6 Reifen trägt. Spindel kurz, Mündung einfach mit kurzem schrägem Kanal. Der Durchmesser des abgebildeten Stücks beträgt 1,6 mm, seine Höhe dürfte 8-9 mm betragen.

Translation.

Some poorly preserved shells from the station 95 and 106 (35°26.8'S, 20°56.2'E, Agulhas Bank) belong to the same group as the previous species [ Triphora dilecta ], they are very distinguishable because of the three spiral threads of equal strength and their white colour; the previously referred species Triphora cingulata A. Adams [Thiele referred to Triphora cingulata in the introduction to Triphoridae ] is grey, its middle thread is weaker than the other two and between the threads there are vertical stripes visible, it cannot be our species. With the available material it is not possible to count the exact number of whorls, in figure 13 I have drawn a shell with 12-13 whorls. The few embryonal whorls show already the three spiral threads that run along the whorls until the lip, the teleoconch whorls show in the lower whorls even a fourth soprasutural spiral cord, on the base there are two other spiral cords visible, this brings the total number of spiral cords to six. The columella is short, the aperture is simple with a slightly twisted siphonal canal. The diameter of the figured specimens is 1.6 mm, the height might be 8-9 mm.

Diagnosis.

Lectotype height 5.9 mm. Shell conical, with flat whorls. Teleoconch of nine whorls, which have three smooth spiral cords; a fine fourth suprasutural smooth cord is also present. Paucispiral large apex of three whorls, with two spiral keels and one subsutural one. Colour white. Base and peristome cannot be properly described on the basis of the type material.

Remarks.

The material labelled as Triphora innocens contains three vials, collected at three different stations: 95, 105 and 106. Station 105 is not cited in the original description. The specimens under this name bear different apex morphologies. Specimens from station 95 have a protoconch with a first whorl wider than the second, and ornamented by two strong keels (Fig. 8 F-G), while the specimens in lots 105 and 106 have the first protoconch whorl much smaller than the others and have two strong spiral keels and one subsutural keel (Fig. 8 H-I). Also teleoconch profiles are different, to the extent that can be judged by subadult specimens. Specimens from station 95 have a more slender teleoconch (Fig. 8 A-D), while specimens from stations 105 and 106 are more conical, and probably larger at adult size (Fig. 8 J-K).

It is unclear if this can be regarded as infraspecific variability or suggests that multiple species were mixed up in the lot. The lack of fully adult specimens, although figure 13 apparently shows a fully grown shell, is a further impediment to a thorough understanding of the species variability. Nonetheless, the original figure 13 represents the apical part similar to the largest specimen of station 95; it is indeed the specimen in best condition, although not fully adult, and is here designated as lectotype. The sample from station 95 also contained fragments of adult specimens, but without apex. Due to the importance of apex morphology for species identification in Triphoridae , we did not select as lectotype any of such specimens.