Buccinidae

Gofas, Serge, Luque, Ángel A., Oliver, Joan Daniel, Templado, José & Serrano, Alberto, 2021, The Mollusca of Galicia Bank (NE Atlantic Ocean), European Journal of Taxonomy 785 (1), pp. 1-114 : 55-62

Key to species of Buccinidae and Colidae found in the GB (see also Bouchet & Warén 1985)

1. Sculpture conspicuous, with definite spiral ridges ........................................................................... 2

– Sculpture attenuated, consisting only of fine spiral grooves ............................................................ 3

2. Sculpture mostly spiral, shell commonly> 5 cm ............................................................................... ........................................................................... Troschelia berniciensis (King, 1846) ( Fig. 23J–K )

– Sculpture with conspicuous knobs along the periphery ..................................................................... .................................................................................. Kryptos koehleri (Locard, 1896) ( Fig. 23L–M )

3. Protoconch of little more than 1 whorl, with a large nucleus ............................................................. .................................................................................... Colus gracilis (da Costa, 1778) ( Fig. 24A–G )

– Protoconch of more than 2 whorls, with a small nucleus ................................................................... .......................................................................... Colus jeffreysianus (P. Fischer, 1868) ( Fig. 24H–K )

Remarks

There are two species of Colus Röding, 1798 to be found on GB ( Fig. 24 ), and their correct identification is crucial since they are an important component of the benthic community and food chain. Both have extremely similar shells and their accurate identification relies essentially on the diagnostic character of the protoconch. Colus gracilis is found on the summit platform and the adult is somewhat larger and more solid, whereas C. jeffreysianus has a broad distribution on the deeper part of the slope. Colus aurariae Fraussen, Rosado, Afonso & Monteiro, 2009 , described from off Portugal in 200–500 m depth, differs from C. gracilis in having both early whorls and siphonal canal more stretched out; it was not found on GB.

Figures

Fig. 23. Muricidae, Fasciolariidae, Columbellidae, Buccinidae, Colidae. A–B. Coralliophila richardi (P. Fischer, 1882), SEAMOUNT 1, DW106, 765 m, 17.9 mm.C–D. Boreotrophon dabneyi(Dautzenberg, 1889), BANGAL 0711, V5, 1631 m, 40.8 mm. E–F. B. dabneyi, juvenile specimen with well-preserved brown protoconch, BANGAL 0711, V2, 1706 m, 4.7 mm. G–H. Amphissa acutecostata (Philippi, 1844), SEAMOUNT 1, DW116, 985–1000 m, 6.0 mm. I. A. acutecostata, protoconch of another specimen, SEAMOUNT 1, CP117, 770 m. J–K. Troschelia berniciensis (King, 1846), ECOMARG 0709, V4, 735 m, 55 mm. L–M. Kryptos koehleri (Locard, 1896), BANGAL 0711, V8, 1565 m, 22.0 mm. Scale bars: A–D, J–M = 10 mm; E–H = 1 mm; I = 500 µm.

Fig. 24. Colidae. A–D. Colus gracilis (da Costa, 1778), ECOMARG 0709, R2, 615 m, 52 mm, 38 mm and 42 mm. E. Detail of apical whorls, same specimen as D. F–G. C. gracilis, juvenile shell with protoconch and half teleoconch whorl, BANGAL 0711, V4, 744 m, 4.5 mm. H–I. Colus jeffreysianus (P. Fischer, 1868), BANGAL 0711, V10, 1720 m, 49.3 mm. J–K. C. jeffreysianus, juvenile shell with protoconch and half teleoconch whorl, 6.5 mm, from the same locality. Scale bars: A–D, H–I = 10 mm; E–G, J–K = 1 mm.