Serrata procera, Boyer, 2008

Boyer, Franck, 2008, The genus Serrata Jousseaume, 1875 (Caenogastropoda: Marginellidae) in New Caledonia, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 389-436 : 405-407

Serrata procera n. sp.

Fig. 24

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (dd) MNHN 20603 and 2 paratypes (dd) MNHN 20604 .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Southern New Caledonia, 22°47’S, 167°14’E, 440-450 m [BIOCAL: stn DW 44] .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Southern New Caledonia. BIOCAL: stn DW 44, 22°47’S, 167°14’E, 440-450 m, 3 dd (holotype,

Fig. 24 and paratypes).

DISTRIBUTION. — Southern New Caledonia, shells in 440-450 m.

DESCRIPTION. — Shell very narrow, slender, ovate subcylindrical, thin, subtranslucent. Protoconch paucispiral, medium-sized, bulging, smooth. Spire high, top blunt, whorls weakly convex. Aperture subvertical, rather narrow, widening towards base. Base poorly tapering. Outer lip thin, straight, vertical, shoulder steeply sloping, narrowly rounded, outer edge nearly straight, subvertical, outer margin slightly thickened, rounded, not stepped, inner lip very weakly reflected, bearing 10 widely spaced, small, blunt denticles. Four thin columellar plaits, lower one oblique, slightly angular, next one very oblique, faintly curved, 2 upper ones less oblique, decreasing in size anteriorly.

Colour whitish (faded).

Dimensions: 4.50 x 1.60 mm.

Radula unknown.

REMARKS. — In several of its shell characters, such as the blunt spire, the narrow aperture, the sloping, narrowly rounded shoulder, the weakly denticulate, straight, vertical outer lip, and the somewhat angular lower columellar plait, Serrata procera is similar to the following species. It differs principally in its much taller spire and in its less numerous but sharper labial denticles. Serrata procera is syntopic with S. dentata .

ETYMOLOGY. — Latin procerus (adj., slender), referring to the elongate shape of the shell.