Profundiconus virginiae Tenorio & Castelin, 2016

Tenorio, Manuel J. & Puillandre, Nicolas, 2023, Revision of the deep-water cone snail fauna from New Caledonia (Gastropoda, Conoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 896, pp. 1-134 : 30-31

Profundiconus virginiae Tenorio & Castelin, 2016

Figs 2 , 16I–L, N , 20

Profundiconus virginiae Tenorio & Castelin, 2016: 22 , figs 9a–d, g, 10.

Profundiconus n. sp. h – Puillandre et al. 2014: supplementary material 1 (unfigured).

Profundiconus cf. cakobaui (non Conus cakobaui Moolenbeek, R ̂ckel & Bouchet, 2008) – Tenorio 2015a: 45 (unfigured).

Profundiconus virginiae – Monnier et al. 2018a: 143.

Material examined

3 lots (3 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Type material

Holotype NEW CALEDONIA • 42.5 mm; Coral Sea , Plateau des Chesterfield, off New Caledonia, stn DW2613; 19°37′ S, 158°42′ E; 519–522 m depth; 19 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN-IM-2007-30854 ( Fig. 16I–J ).

Figured material

NEW CALEDONIA • Paratype, 33.7 mm; Plateau des Chesterfield , off New Caledonia, stn DW2609; 19º33′ S, 158º40′ E; 431‒436 m depth; 19 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN-IM-2007-30858 ( Fig. 16K, N ) • paratype, 16.3 mm (fragment); Plateau des Chesterfield , off New Caledonia, stn DW2610; 19º34′ S, 158º41′ E; 486‒494 m depth; 19 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN-IM-2000-30789 ( Fig. 16L ) .

Geographical distribution and bathymetry

Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, at depths between 400‒ 600 m. This species can be considered endemic.

Remarks

Shell moderately small to medium sized (maximum length 42.5 mm). Multispiral protoconch with 3–3.5 whorls, white, glossy and translucent ( Fig. 16L ). Radular tooth ( Fig. 16N ) medium- to large-sized, rather elongated. Anterior portion of tooth shorter than posterior section, with one barb and a pointed, well-defined blade which covers 40–43% of anterior portion of tooth. External cusp present, laterally expanded and serrated, with 5–6 small denticles. Characteristic fringe of closely spaced projections pointing towards apex located immediately below waist. Shaft fold present. Large and prominent basal spur on top of slanted base of tooth. This is a very rare species known from very few specimens only. In the phylogeny ( Fig. 2 ) the two sequenced individuals of P. virginiae form a monophyletic group that is the sister group of P. zardoyai , P. vaubani , and P. kanakinus .

Figures

Fig. 2. Cox1-based Bayesian phylogeny. Posterior probabilities (> 0.95) and bootstrap values (> 90) from the ML analysis are provided for each node. Intraspecific relationships are collapsed. Subgenus names are indicated on the right.

Fig. 16. A–B. Profundiconus teramachii (Kuroda, 1956). A. China Sea, 795‒822 m depth, 79 mm (MNHN-IM-2013-50257). B. SE Isabel Island, Solomon Islands, 487‒541 m depth, 93.2 mm (MNHN- IM-2007-30920). – C–H. Profundiconus cf. teramachii. C–D. Plateau des Chesterfield, 675 m depth, 89.3 mm. E–F. Vanuatu, 748‒775 m depth, 72.4 mm. G. Kermadec Ridge, E of Chanter Islets, Raoul Island, New Zealand, 300‒823 m depth, 59.2 mm (NMNZ M.225507). H. New Zealand, 300‒823 m depth, 55.4 mm (NMNZ M.171916). – I–L. Profundiconus virginiae Tenorio & Castelin, 2016. I–J. Holotype, Coral Sea,Plateau des Chesterfield, 519–522 m depth, 42.5 mm (MNHN-IM-2007-30854). K. Paratype, Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, 431–436 m depth, 33.7 mm (MNHN-IM-2007-30858). L. Protoconch of paratype MNHN-IM-2000-30789. – M. Profundiconus cf. teramachii. Radular tooth of a specimen from the Loyalty Islands, 67.5 mm (ER coll.). –N. Profundiconus virginiae. Radular tooth of paratype MNHN-IM-2007-30858, specimen K. Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise stated.

Fig. 20. Bathymetric range and distribution map for Profundiconus virginiae Tenorio & Castelin, 2016. Red circles indicate the points where the species was collected.