Tellina (Hertellina) sadeghianae Coan & Valentich-Scott, 2010

Coan, Eugene V. & Valentich-Scott, Paul, 2010, Three new species of Tellina (Bivalvia, Tellinidae) from the Panamic Province, Zootaxa 2715, pp. 55-58 : 55

Tellina (Hertellina) sadeghianae Coan & Valentich-Scott , new species

Figures 1 A–E, 2 A

Shell ovate-elongate, moderately inflated; subequilateral; exterior color light to dark pink; periostracum adherent, thin, shiny, slightly iridescent; umbonal region smooth; sculpture of commarginal striae that become slightly oblique near posterior end; posterior slope smooth, with only fine commarginal striae; right valve anterior lateral tooth short, thin, moderately close to cardinals; posterior lateral tooth thin, very distant from cardinals; pallial sinuses long, not reaching anterior adductor scars, mostly confluent with pallial line.

Type material. SBMNH 352864 , holotype; length, 24.5 mm; height, 14.3 mm . SBMNH 352864 , 3 paratypes, paired valves ; USNM 1146209 , 1 paratype, paired valves .

Type locality. Bahía Parita , Coclé, Panamá; 81°5’47”N, 80°16’35”W; 11–17 m, in sandy mud .

Distribution. Bahía Ballena, Puntarenas, Costa Rica (9.7°N) [CAS], to Esmeraldas, Esmeraldas, Ecuador (1.0°N) [UMML, SBMNH]; 11–17 m [SBMNH]; sandy mud.

Etymology. This species is named after Patricia Sadeghian of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, who has taken thousands of bivalve images for our research projects and monographs.

Comparisons. The only other Recent species in the subgenus, Tellina (Hertellina) nicoyana Hertlein & Strong, 1949 , differs from T. (H.) sadeghianae in having a posterodorsal flange, widely spaced commarginal ribs on the umbonal region, being lighter in color, and in being more compressed ( Figures 1 F–H). Sanguinolaria (Sanguinolaria) azulensis Olsson, 1942 (p. 194, pl. 18, fig. 8), described from the Pliocene Charco Azul Formation of the Burica Peninsula on the Costa Rica and Panama border, seems to be a synonym of T. nicoyana . “ Sanguinolaria panamensis Dall ms” was listed by Bernard (1983: 43) as a synonym of T. nicoyana , presumably having been spotted on a label in the USNM. The new species differs from the Late Pliocene of Trinidad T. (H.) oligoscissulata Jung, 1969 (pp. 386–387, pl. 33, figs. 1–4), in being slightly more elongate, less high, and with a deeper pallial sinus that is more dorsally directed.