Tellimya tenella ( Lovén, 1846 ), Loven, 1846

Negri, Mauro Pietro & Corselli, Cesare, 2016, Bathyal Mollusca from the cold-water coral biotope of Santa Maria di Leuca (Apulian margin, southern Italy), Zootaxa 4186 (1), pp. 1-97 : 37-38

Tellimya tenella ( Lovén, 1846)

Fig. 8 d–f

Montacuta tenella Lovén, 1846 (p. 197).

Montacuta ferruginosa ( Montagu, 1803) — Nordsieck 1969 (p. 94, pl. 14, fig. 52.44). Tellimya tenella ( Lovén, 1846) — Palazzi & Villari 2001 (p. 26, figs. 114–115); Oliver et al. 2016 (online resource). Montacuta tenella Lovén, 1846 — Repetto et al. 2005 (p. 315, bottom left fig.).

Diagnostic characters. Sub-elliptical, inequilateral shell with longer and obliquely expanded anterior side; right valve with an oblique, knobby anterior cardinal tooth; outer surface with dense, uneven growth lines. Prodissoconch: shell type ST-2A; P-2 length exceeding 260 µm; P-1 length exceeding 90 µm (underestimated measures because of SEM image foreshortening); roundish outline; convex profile; P-1 surface unavailable; P-2 apparently well separated from P-1; P-2 with fine concentric lines, more evident towards the nepioconch; transition to the nepioconch well marked.

Remarks. The shell shape stands as the distinguishing character between the present species and T. ferruginosa ( Montagu, 1808) .

Occurrence. Box-corer sample BC72 (1 specimen); core BC21 (2). Maximum length: 3 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Tellimya tenella has a NE Atlantic and Mediterranean distribution, living at shelf depths associated with burrowing urchins of the genus Brissopsis ( Palazzi & Villari 2001; Oliver et al. 2016).

Fossil record. None recorded.

Figures

FIGURE 8. a – c: Montacuta substriata (Montagu, 1808); RV, sample BC 72, scale bars: 1 mm (a – b), 0.1 mm (c, prodissoconch); d – f: Tellimya tenella (Lovén, 1846); RV, sample BC 72, scale bars: 1 mm (d – e), 0.1 mm (f, prodissoconch); g – i: Kurtiella cf. tumidula (Jeffreys, 1866); RV, sample BC 67, scale bars: 0.5 mm (g – h), 0.1 mm (i, prodissoconch); j – m: Parvicardium minimum (Philippi, 1836); RV (j, m) and LV (k), sample BC 71, scale bars: 1 mm (j – k), 0.1 mm (l, prodissoconch), 0.02 mm (m, P – 1 detail); n – p: Abra longicallus (Scacchi, 1835); LV, sample BC 70, scale bars: 5 mm (n – o), 0.1 mm (p, prodissoconch).