Triphora capensis 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 : 36-38

Taxon classification Animalia Caenogastropoda Triphoridae

Triphora capensis Thiele, 1925 Figure 5

Triphora capensis Thiele, 1925: 128 (94), plate XXII (X), figures 18 and 18a.

Type specimens.

Lectotype: ZMB/Moll no. 109269a, here designated from station 101 (Algoa Bay). Paralectotype A: ZMB/Moll no. 109269b; further 11 paralectotypes: ZMB/Moll no. 109269.

Type locality.

"Stationen 81 ( Große Fischbucht), 95 (Cap Agulhas), 100 (Francis-Bucht) und 101 (Algoa-Bucht)" (South Africa).

Original description.

Stationen 81 ( Große Fischbucht), 95 (Cap Agulhas), 100 (Francis-Bucht) und 101 (Algoa-Bucht). Einige Schalen, z. T. unvollkommen erhalten, kann ich auf keine bekannte Art beziehen, sie gehören in die Gruppe der Triphora perversa , von der sie deutlich verschieden sind. Die etwas bräunlichen Schalen sind hoch kegelförmig, aus 11 kaum gewölbten Windungen gebildet, deren erste abgerundet und mit 3 Reifen skulptiert einen etwas abgestumpften Apex bilden, während die übrigen auβer den 3 Reifen noch herablaufende Falten zeigen, die an den Schnittpunkten deutliche Knoten bilden, an der Naht ist noch ein glatter Reifen sichtbar. Letzte Windung mit einem großen geraden Spindelfortsatz und mit 4 Reifen an der Unterseite, die in einem stumpfen Winkel zum oberen Teil steht; Mündung ziemlich groß, abgerundet rautenförmig. Höhe 8 mm, Durchmesser 2,25 mm.

Translation.

Stations 81 ( “Große Fischbucht"), 95 (Cape Agulhas), 100 (Francis Bay) and 101 (Algoa Bay). I obtained some imperfect shells, which I cannot relate with any known species; they belong to the group of Triphora perversa , but they are clearly different. The slightly brownish shells are high and conical, and have 11 slightly inflated whorls, the first whorl is rounded and sculptured by 3 cords, forming an obtuse apex, while the following whorls have axial ribs which bear tubercles at the intersection with the spiral cords; at the suture a further smooth thread is visible. The last whorl has a big straight siphonal canal and with 4 cords on the base, the last whorl has a blunt angle between the lower and upper part; aperture rather large, diamond-shaped. Height 8 mm, diameter 2.25 mm.

Diagnosis.

Lectotype height 8 mm. Shell conical, with rather flat whorls. Teleoconch of nine whorls, which have three tubercled spiral cords, present since the first teleoconch whorl. A fourth suprasutural smooth cord is also present. The base has five smooth spiral cords. The peristome is not complete in the type material, but it does not seem to bear bifurcated spiral cords. Paucispiral large apex of two whorls with three large spiral cords which are initially smooth and then become tubercled. Colour brownish, with the first spiral cord on whorls paler (colour pattern clearly visible in paralectotype A, Fig. 5 I-K).

Remarks.

The sample from station 81 contains specimens which are broken or juvenile and difficult to assign to any species. At least one specimen is certainly not Triphora capensis , because it bears a planktotrophic apex. Station 81 is probably located in Agulhas Bank and not in Angola as the geographic coordinates would suggest ( Kilburn 1996) (see Materials and methods).