Alvania cimicoides (Forbes, 1844)

(Fig. 3)

Material examined. (more than five hundred shells, about half of them with soft parts, in 36 samples): SPAIN • 1 sh; 43° 51.265′N, 008° 54.480′W to 43° 51.498′N, 008° 53.123′W; 827– 819 m; 08–15 SeP. 2002; DIVA-Artabria I DRN-800 • 2 sh; 43° 53.457′N, 008° 48.461′W to 43° 54.000′N, 008° 48.524′W; 629–631 m; 08–15 SeP. 2002; DIVA-Artabria I AT-600 • 1 spc (juv) + 4 sh; 43° 47.188′N, 008° 53.053′W to 43° 55.312′N, 008° 53.101′W; 770–842 m; 08–15 SeP. 2002; DIVAArtabria I AT-800 • 1 sPc + 6 sh; 43° 57.030′N, 008° 54.795′W to 43° 57.248′N, 008° 54.133′W; 1191– 1132 m; 08–15 SeP. 2002; DIVA-Artabria I AT-1000 • 15 sh + 32 sPc; 43° 48.421′N, 008° 51.453′W to 43° 49.160′N, 008° 51.091′W; 599–607 m; 10–20 Sep. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I DRN-600 • 9 sPc; 43° 53.575′N, 008° 56.868′W to 43° 54.015′N, 008° 56.959′W; 965–974 m; 10–20 Sep. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I DRN-1000 • 7 sPc; 43° 48.514′N, 008° 51.439′W to 43° 49.163′N, 008° 51.157′W; 616– 616 m; 10–20 SeP. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I AT-600 • 1 sh; 43° 51.774′N, 008° 53.640′W to 43° 52.516′N, 008° 53.478′W; 798–801 m; 10–20 SeP. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I AT-800 • 2 sPc + 5 sh; 43° 53.847′N, 008° 57.324′W to 43°54.621′N, 008° 57.261′W; 993–1004 m; 10–20 SeP. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I AT-1000 • 1 sPc; 43° 41.590′N, 008° 45.328′W to 43° 42.396′N, 008° 44.286′W; 301– 301 m; 10–20 SeP. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I EBS-300 •> 50 sh + 150 spc (100 juv); 43° 48.587′N, 008° 51.402′W to 43° 49.545′N, 008° 51.197′W; 610– 598 m; 10–20 SeP. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I EBS-600 • 6 sPc (4 juv); 43° 51.873′N, 008° 53.683′W to 43° 53.120′N, 008° 53.301′W; 802– 788 m; 10–20 SeP. 2003; DIVA-Artabria I EBS-800 • 2 sPc + 4 sh; 43° 38.812′N, 009° 07.949′W to 43° 39.841′N, 009° 07.405′W; 999–1001 m; 17–28 Sep. 2004; VERTIDOS GA-DRN-1000 . • 1 sh; Polygon delimited by Points 44° 10.000′ N, 009° 00.000′ W /44° 10.000′ N, 008° 35.000′ W/44° 00.000′ N; 009° 00.000′ W/44° 07.000′ N; 008° 35.000′ W; 720 m; SARRIDAL (2006–2007) SARRI-1 • 12 sPc + 15 sh; Polygon delimited by Points 44° 10.000′ N, 009° 00.000′ W /44° 10.000′ N, 008° 35.000′ W/44° 00.000′ N; 009° 00.000′ W/44° 07.000′ N; 008° 35.000′ W; 480–600 m; SARRIDAL (2006–2007) SARRI-2 • 1 spc + 4 sh; Polygon delimited by Points 44° 10.000′ N, 009° 00.000′ W /44° 10.000′ N, 008° 35.000′ W/44° 00.000′ N; 009° 00.000′ W/44° 07.000′ N; 008° 35.000′ W; 417–668 m; SARRIDAL (2006–07) SARRI-3 • 7 spc + 6 sh; Polygon delimited by Points 44° 10.000′ N, 009° 00.000′ W /44° 10.000′ N, 008° 35.000′ W/44° 00.000′ N; 009° 00.000′ W/44° 07.000′ N; 008° 35.000′ W; 417–668 m; SARRIDAL (2006–2007) SARRI-4 • 25 sh; 44° 11.652′N, 008° 58.152′W to 44° 11.539′N, 008° 57.574′W; 908–1106 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-7 •>100 sh; 44° 08.65′N, 008° 55.305′W to 44° 08.771′N, 008° 55.104′W; 581– 566 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-7 C • 2 sh; 44° 08.461′N, 009° 04.634′W to 44° 08.607′N, 009° 04.413′W; 917– 896 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-7-1 •>100 sh + 10 spc; 44° 09.896′N, 008° 39.581′W to 44° 10.129′N, 008° 39.494′W; 438–459 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-11 • 1 sh; 44° 07.628′N, 008° 45.871′W to 44° 07.989′N, 008° 45.542′W; 412– 411 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-11-4 • 2 sh; 44° 07.309′N, 008° 48.289′W to 44° 07.488′N, 008° 48.047′W; 445– 438 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-11-5 • 7 sh; 43° 56.478′N, 008° 54.199′W to 43° 55.934′N, 008° 54.849′W; 620–933 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-15-2 • 3 sh + 1 spc (juv); 43° 48.511′N, 008° 51.393′W to 43° 49.092′N, 008° 50.959′W; 312–576 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA DRN-30-1 • 5 sh + 6 spc; 44° 07.495′N, 008° 46.999′W to 44° 07.675′N, 008° 45.225′W; 416– 407 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA AT-11-2 • 2 sh + 3 spc; 44° 06.496′N, 008° 23.522′W to 44° 07.16′N, 008° 23.201′W; 337– 324 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA AT-13 • 1 sPc; 44° 08.516′N, 008° 40.788′W to 44° 09.688′N, 008° 39.721′W; 436– 428 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA EBS-11 • 1 sh + 3 spc; 44° 06.943′N, 008° 47.232′W to 44° 07.173′N, 008° 46.031′W; 440– 429 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA EBS-11-2 • 4 spc; 44° 00.806′N, 008° 33.098′W to 44° 01.967′N, 008° 32.57′W; 346– 344 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA EBS-14 • 3 sh + 2 spc; 43° 58.84′N, 008° 15.625′W to 43° 59.621′N, 008° 14.285′W; 233–237 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA EBS-20 • 9 sPc (juv); 43° 48.252′N, 008° 51.427′W to 43° 49.707′N, 008° 51.164′W; 575–584 m; 15–24 Jul. 2008; A SELVA EBS-30-1 • 1 sh; 43° 24.95′N, 009° 25.5′W to 43° 25.6′N, 009° 24.62′W; 458–470 m; 15–30 SeP. 2008; DIVA-Artabria II DRNP-07 • 1 sh; 43°20.49′N, 009° 34.03′W to 43° 21.22′N, 009° 32.96′W; 846– 770 m; 15–30 SeP. 2008; DIVA-Artabria II DRNP-16 • 1 sh; 43° 34.86′N, 009° 21.95′W to 43° 36.44′N, 009° 20.71′W; 1010–1112 m; 15–30 SeP. 2008; DIVA-Artabria II EBS-04 • 2 sh; 43° 32.5′N, 009° 25.37′W to 43° 33.6′N, 009° 24.5′W; 848–1027 m; 15–30 SeP. 2008; DIVA-Artabria II EBS-05 • 8 sh; 43° 24.63′N, 009° 31.55′W to 43° 25.67′N, 009° 30.73′W; 880– 827 m; 15–30 SeP. 2008; DIVA-Artabria II EBS-08 • 4 sh + 1 sPc; 42° 55.76′N, 009° 44.04′W to 42° 55.79′N, 009° 44.57′W; 709–728 m; 15–30 SeP. 2008; DIVA-Artabria II EBS-25 .

Remarks. It is a very common bathyal rissoid (in a wide depth range) known from high latitudes (Greenland, Iceland, and along the continental slopes from Norway) to the Cape Verde Islands (including Azores, Madeira and Canaries) and into the Mediterranean (Fretter & Graham 1978; Bouchet & Warén 1993; Hoenselaar & Goud 1998; Gofas 2007; Hoffman et al. 2011; Bitlis & Öztürk 2017). The shells studied conform to the previous descriptions of the species. One of the shells studied is shown in Figure 3a, as well as its protoconch (Figs. 3c–e) and details of the microsculpture of the teleoconch (Fig. 3b) and protoconch (Figs. 3 f–g). It is characterized by its rectangular reticulate patterns with small nodules at the intersections of axial ribs and spirals cords. Multispiral protoconch of almost 3 whorls with sculpture of irregular spiral zig-zag elements, forming continuous lines near the suture.

In the Mediterranean it has been regarded as a preferential characteristic element of the bathyal mud and deepsea white corals biocoenoses, usually in 100–1000 m (Negri & Corselli 2016). Alvania rykeli Hoenselaar & Goud, 1998, from around circalittoral and bathyal bottoms around Cape Verde Islands, strongly resembles A. cimicoides as far as the multispiral protoconch is concerned but differs in having much fewer axial (12–14 instead of 22–25) and spiral ribs (7–8 instead of 10–11).

Among the samples studied, it was collected in the depth range 300–1200 m, but it was especially frequent in those collected at around 600 m in sandy bottoms with phosphorites.