Cocculinella freti, Dell’Angelo & Sosso & Bonfitto, 2011

Dell’Angelo, Bruno, Sosso, Maurizio & Bonfitto, Antonio, 2011, First record of Cocculinella (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Cocculiniformia) from the Lower Pleistocene of Southern Italy with the description of two new species, Geodiversitas 33 (4), pp. 739-746 : 742

Cocculinella freti n. sp. ( Fig. 2 A-F)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: MZB 45691, shell from Archi ( Fig. 2A, B , D-F). Paratype: BD, shell from Valanidi ( Fig. 2C ).

ETYMOLOGY. — From the latin world “ fretum ”, “strait” (of Messina), alluding to the occurrence at two outcrops near the Calabrian coast of the Messina Strait.

TYPE LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — Archi, Reggio Calabria Province, Southern Italy, Lower Pleistocene.

MEASUREMENTS. — see Table 1.

DESCRIPTION

Shell patelliform, up to 5.21 mm long (3.03 mm the holotype), thin and fragile. Aperture narrowly elliptical, ends evenly rounded, sides subparallel and very shallowly rounded, slightly convex from side to side so that only the center contacts a flat surface. Spire depressed-conical, apex slightly behind the centre, anterior slope profile slightly convex, posterior slope profile shallowly concave, anterior and posterior slope areas regularly connected with lateral areas, posterior outline subangular. Protoconch clearly demarcated, 285 µm long and 188 µm wide in the holotype, of about one whorl, tip of apical fold perfectly fused behind the apertural rim. Teleoconch with only fine collabral growth lines.

REMARKS

The paratype from Valanidi has the same narrow and elongate general shape as the holotype. The protoconch is partially eroded, so it was possible only to measure the length, 310 µm, which is closely accordant with that of the holotype (285 µm).

DISTRIBUTION Cocculinella freti n. sp. is only known from the lower Pleistocene of Archi and Valanidi, Reggio Calabria Province, Southern Italy.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Lower Pleistocene Cocculinella Thiele, 1909 species: A-F, Cocculinella freti n. sp.; A, B, D-F, holotype (MZB 45691) from Archi (Reggio Calabria Province) in dorsal (A) and lateral (B) views; D, E, protoconch; F, teleoconch; C, paratype from Valanidi (Reggio Calabria Province), dorsal view, not coated; G-L, Cocculinella bertolasoi n. sp.; G, H, J-L, holotype (MZB 45692), from Valanidi (Reggio Calabria Province) in dorsal (G) and lateral (H) views;J, K, protoconch; L, teleoconch; I, paratype from Capo Milazzo (Messina Province, Sicily), not coated. Scale bars: A, B, I, 500 μm; C, G, H, 1 mm; D-F, J-L, 100 μm.