Conus

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2016, A revision of the Neogene Conidae and Conorbidae (Gastropoda) of the Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 4210 (1), pp. 1-178 : 151-153

Conus s.l. vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879

Figs 30 R, 35C1–C2, 35D1–D3, 35E1–E3, 35F, 35G1–G2

[ Conus ] vindobonensis P.[artsch]— Hörnes 1848: 16 (nomen nudum).

Conus clavatus Lam. —Hörnes 1851: 25, pl. 2, figs 4a–c [non Conus clavatus Lamarck, 1810 ].

Conus ventricosus Bronn—Hörnes 1851: 32 (partim), pl. 3, figs 5a–c, 7a–c [non Lautoconus ventricosus ( Gmelin, 1791) ].

Conus (Chelyconus) Vindobonensis Partsch—Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 48 [nov. nom. pro Conus ventricosus in Hörnes 1851 , pl. 3, figs 5, 7].

Conus (Chelyconus) mediterraneus Hwass—Hoernes & Auinger 1879: 51 , pl. 6, figs 9–11.

[ Conus ] C.[helyconus] mediterraneus var. pupoidemiocenica Sacc. — Sacco 1893b: 104 [nov. nom. pro Conus mediterraneus Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 , pl. 6, fig. 10].

[ Conus (Chelyconus) mediterraneus ] var. mioexclavata Sacc. —Sacco 1893: 104 [nov. nom. pro Conus clavatus Hörnes, 1851 , pl. 2, fig. 4].

[ Conus ] C.[helyconus] mediterraneus var. permiocenica Sacc. — Sacco 1893b: 104 [nov. nom. pro Conus mediterraneus Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 , pl. 6, fig. 11].

Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis Partsch—Strausz 1966: 458 , pl. 69, figs 3–4.

Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis Partsch in Hoernes et Auinger, 1879 — Hinculov 1968: 149, pl. 37, fig. 16. Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis Partsch in Hörnes, 1848 ( 1856) — Nicorici & Sagatovici 1973: 176, pl. 27, figs 2–3. Conus mediterraneus Hwass—Krach 1981: 77 , pl. 20, figs 13–16, pl. 21, figs 1–2, 5.

? Conus vindobonensis vindobonensis (Partsch) — Ionesi & Nicorici 1994: 62, pl. 5, figs 11–12.

Conus (Chelyconus) pyrula Brocchi, 1814 — Bałuk 1997: 63, pl. 21, figs 5–6 [non Lautoconus pyrula ( Brocchi, 1814) ]. Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis Partsch in Hörnes, 1856 — Bałuk 1997: 65, pl. 23, figs 1–6.

? Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis Partsch in Hörnes—Chira & Voia 2001: 156 , pl. 2, figs 5a–b.

non Conus (Chelyconus) vindobonensis (Partsch in Hoernes und Auinger 1879)—Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960: 213, pl. 50, figs 4–5 [= Conus s.l. mucronatolaevis Sacco, 1893 ].

non Chelyconus vindobonensis (Partsch in Hörnes, 1856) — Kovács & Vicián 2013: 62, figs 28–29.

Type material. Syntypes: 3 spec. NHMW 1846 /0037/0043, Gainfarn ( Austria), including specimen illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 3, fig. 5); 5 spec . NHMW 1846 /0037/0049, Enzesfeld ( Austria), including specimen illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 3, fig. 7).

Studied material. 3 spec. NHMW 1846 /0037/0043, Gainfarn ( Austria), including specimen illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 3, fig. 5); 5 spec . NHMW 1846 /0037/0049, Enzesfeld ( Austria), including specimen illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 3, fig. 7); 10 spec . NHMW 1855/0045/0359, 9 spec. NHMW 1853/0003/0005, 9 spec. NHMW 1856 /0050/0115, all Gainfarn ( Austria); 4 spec . NHMW 1846 /0037/0052, Gainfarn and Steinebrunn ( Austria); 7 spec . NHMW 1846 /00027/0028, Steinebrunn ( Austria); 16 spec . NHMW 1860 /0001/0067, Mikulov-Kienberk ( Czech Republic); 10 spec . NHMW 1849 /0023/0002, Bad Vöslau , including specimen illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 9); 1 spec . NHMW 1849 /0023/0002a, Bad Vöslau , specimen illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, fig. 10); 3 spec . NHMW 1846 /0037/0048, Enzesfeld ( Austria), including specimen illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 2, fig. 4.

Illustrated material. Figs 35 C1–C2: Gainfarn ( Austria): SL: 53.4 mm, MD: 26.5 mm, NHMW 1856/0050/ 0115; Figs 35 D1–D3: syntype, Enzesfeld ( Austria): SL: 48.8 mm, MD: 26.7 mm, NHMW 1846/0037/0049, illustrated in Hörnes (1851, pl. 3, fig. 7); Figs 35 E1–E3: Mikulov-Kienberk ( Czech Republic): SL: 47.5 mm, MD: 23.8 mm, NHMW 1860/0001/0067; Figs 35 F: Gainfarn ( Austria): SL: 58.4 mm, MD: 29.2 mm, NHMW 1856/ 0050/0115; Figs 35 G1–G2: Gainfarn ( Austria): SL: 30.6 mm, MD: 14.3 mm, NHMW 1846/0037/0043a; Fig. 30 R: Gainfarn ( Austria): SL: 30.1 mm, MD: 15.2 mm, NHMW 1846/0037/0043a.

Revised description. Medium-sized moderately slender shells; spire coeloconoid to conical and of variable height. Spire whorls channelled, moderately convex to nearly flat; early spire whorls scalariform, strongly tuberculate and striate (but rarely preserved); later whorls with more or less prominent striae, which may fade out completely on last whorls. Subsutural flexure deep, moderately curved, moderately asymmetrical. Last whorl elongate, slightly ventricose, very weakly constricted with weak spiral grooves on abapical third; shoulder high, more or less prominent, rounded to subangular; position of maximum diameter slightly below shoulder. Siphonal canal short, weakly recurved; siphonal fasciole indistinct. Aperture straight, moderately narrow. Colour pattern under UV light only poorly preserved, consisting of a dense pattern of thin, roughly spirally arranged short dashes and slightly spirally extended dots.

Shell measurements and ratios. n = 20 adult specimens (only large morphs): largest specimen: SL: 58.4 mm, MD: 29.2 mm, mean SL: 51.9 mm (σ = 3.3), mean MD: 27.2 mm (σ = 1.5), spire angle: µ = 98.3° (σ = 10.4°), last whorl angle: µ = 35.1° (σ = 1.9°), LW: µ = 1.91 (σ = 0.1), RD: µ = 0.63 (σ = 0.03), PMD: µ = 0.89 (σ = 0.03), RSH: µ = 0.17 (σ = 0.03).

Discussion. Hall (1966: 137) discussed a close relation of Conus vindobonensis with Conus ventricosus Gmelin, 1791 , which would result in a placement in Lautoconus . The tuberculate, depressed scalariform early spire, however, contradicts a relation with Lautoconus . In any case, Hall (1966) was correct to interpret this species as a very polymorphic species comparable to the extant Lautoconus ventricosus . Especially the height of the spire and the convexity of the spire whorls are very variable. Similarly, the outline of the last whorl ranges from slightly ventricose to nearly straight-sided. Like the recent L. ventricosus , the spire of the Miocene C. vindobonensis tends to be more or less gradate in some specimens. Consequently, the high spired, gradate specimens illustrated by Hoernes & Auinger (1879, pl. 6, figs 10–11) as Conus mediterraneus are most probably aberrant specimens of Conilithes vindobonensis . Therefore, Conus mediterraneus var. pupoidemiocenica and permiocenica, which were introduced by Sacco (1893b) as new names for these specimens, are subjective junior synonyms of Conus vindobonensis . The same holds true for the aberrant specimen illustrated by Hörnes (1851, pl. 2, fig. 4) as Conus clavatus , for which Sacco (1893b) introduced the superfluous varietal name mioexclavata, although already Hoernes & Auinger (1879) identified this specimen as their Conus vindobonensis .

Hall (1966: 137) considered this species to be a subjective junior synonym of Conus argillicola Eichwald, 1830 , from the Badenian of Ukraine. The specimen illustrated by Eichwald (1852, pl. 9, fig. 2) as C. argillicola differs from C. vindobonensis in its constricted base and the long and reflected siphonal canal. Moreover, the spiral striae on the spire whorls of C. argillicola are much stronger. Therefore, we doubt that both taxa represent the same species. Unfortunately, we were not able to find the type specimen(s) of C. argillicola to solve this question definitely.

Paleoenvironment. Typically found in shallow marine nearshore environments; at Gainfarn, where it is among the most frequent cones, it was associated with seagrass.

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Vienna Basin: Gainfarn, Enzesfeld, Steinebrunn, Baden, Baden-Sooß, Bad Vöslau, Möllersdorf, Pötzleinsdorf, Grinzing, ( Austria), Mikulov-Muschelberg, Mikulov-Kienberk, Hrušovany ( Czech Republic), Eisenstadt-Sopron Basin: Marz, Forchtenau ( Austria); Styrian Basin: Pöls; Alpine-Carpathian Foredeep: Grund, Guntersdorf ( Austria) ( Hoernes & Auinger 1879; Sieber 1958a, b), Korytnica, Węglinek, Łychów ( Poland) ( Krach 1981; Bałuk 1997); Pannonian Basin: Hidas ( Hungary) ( Strausz 1966); Transylvanian Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Boettger 1902); Buzău Basin: Crivineni, Valea Muscel ( Romania); Zârand Basin: Minişul de Sus ( Romania) ( Nicorici & Sagatovici 1973); Caransebeş-Mehadia Basin: Valea Satului ( Romania) ( Hinculov 1968).

Figures

FIGURE 35 A 1 – A 3. Conus s. l. olivaeformis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), NHMW 1858 / 0035 / 0008, syntype. 35 B 1 – B 3. Conus s. l. olivaeformis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania). NHMW 1854 / 0035 / 0046, syntype. 35 C 1 – C 2. Conus s. l. vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Gainfarn (Austria), NHMW 1856 / 0050 / 0115, syntype. 35 D 1 – D 3. Conus s. l. vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Enzesfeld (Austria), NHMW 1846 / 0037 / 0049, syntype. 35 E 1 – E 3. Conus s. l. vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Mikulov-Kienberk (Czech Republic), NHMW 1860 / 0001 / 0067. 35 F. Conus s. l. vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Gainfarn (Austria), NHMW 1856 / 0050 / 0115. 35 G 1 – G 2. Conus s. l. vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879, Gainfarn (Austria), NHMW 1846 / 0037 / 0043 a. 35 H 1 – H 3. Conus s. l. mucronatolaevis (Sacco, 1893), Mikulov-Muschelberg, NHMW 1847 / 0037 / 0027. 35 I 1 – I 3. Conus s. l. mucronatolaevis (Sacco, 1893), Mikulov- Muschelberg (Czech Republic), NHMW 1847 / 0037 / 0027. 35 J. Conus s. l. mucronatolaevis (Sacco, 1893), Gainfarn (Austria), private collection Anton Breitenberger.