Ammonicera mcleani, Sartori & Bieler, 2014

Sartori, André F. & Bieler, Rüdiger, 2014, Three new species of Ammonicera from the Eastern Pacific coast of North America, with redescriptions and comments on other species of Omalogyridae (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia), Zootaxa 3872 (1), pp. 1-21 : 8-10

Ammonicera mcleani sp. nov.

Figure 5

Remarks. The shells of Ammonicera mcleani and A. mexicana sp. nov. (described below) resemble those of Atlantic A. sculpturata Rolán, 1992b and Papua New Guinean A. nodicarinata ( Sleurs, 1985c) in the presence of two spiral cords delimiting the peripheral wall and a single row of nodules on the apical and basal surfaces of the shell. They differ from both of these previously described species in bearing smaller and more numerous nodules on the body whorl (10–15 in A. nodicarinata ; c. 12 in A. sculpturata ). They additionally differ from A. sculpturata in having a less rounded aperture, and from A. nodicarinata in the later ontogenetic onset of their nodules (see Rolán, 1992b; Sleurs, 1985c).

The shape of the periphery is the most obvious criterion to distinguish A. mcleani and A. mexicana . It is broadly convex in the former species, whereas in the latter a prominent spiral cord divides the peripheral wall in two concave sectors. Additional distinguishing features are the more discoidal shape of A. mexicana and the slightly more prominent nodules of A. mcleani .

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Dr. James McLean, Curator Emeritus at LACM and renowned specialist of the eastern Pacific gastropod fauna, who personally collected and encouraged us to study the material reported upon in this paper.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Ammonicera mcleani sp. nov. A–C. Holotype, apical views; A. General view; B. Detail of the protoconch; C. Coloration; D–E. Paratype 1, umbilical views; D. General view; E. Detail of the protoconch (interpreted boundary between protoconch and teleoconch at arrowhead); F. Paratype 2, dorsal view; G. Paratype 3, apertural view. Scale bars: A, C, D, F, G = 0.2 mm; B, E = 0.1 mm.