Turris chaldaea, Kilburn & Fedosov & Olivera, 2012

Kilburn, Richard N., Fedosov, Alexander E. & Olivera, Baldomero M., 2012, Revision of the genus Turris Batsch, 1789 (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Turridae) with the description of six new species, Zootaxa 3244 (1), pp. 1-58 : 14-16

Turris chaldaea sp. nov.

Plate 7 , figs A–H

? Turris babylonica [sic] Röding, 1798: 123 (cites Gmelin 1791: sp. 52 and Chemnitz 1780: pl. 143, figs 1331–2).

? Turris gothica Röding, 1798: 124 (cites Murex babylonus [sic] Gmelin, 1791: sp. 52, based on Chemnitz 1780: pl. 143, figs 1331–2). Type loc.: not given.

? Turris rustica Röding, 1798: 124 , sp. 1597 (cites Murex babylonus [sic] Gmelin, 1791, species 52). Type loc.: not given.

? Turris pyramidalis Röding, 1798: 124 , sp. 1598 (cites Murex babylonus [sic] Gmelin, 1791, species 52). Type loc.: not given

? Turris vitrea Röding, 1798: 124 , sp. 1599 (cites Murex babylonus [sic] Gmelin, 1791, species 52). Type loc.: not given.

? Pleurotome [sic] marmorata Link, 1807: 119 (cites M. babylonicus Gmelin, 1791: 3544 ). Type loc.: not given.

Pleurotoma babylonia (non Linnaeus, 1758); Reeve 1843: pl. 1, sp. 5

Turris babylonia (non Linnaeus, 1758); Powell 1964: 327 (in part) (references), pl. 181, figs 1-2 only; Olivera, Seronay & Fedosov 2000: 50, figs 1a, 2a, b, fig. 6; Olivera & Sysoev 2008: pl. 680, figs 6–8; Dharma 2005: pl. 41, fig. 12.

Turris hidalgoi (non Vera-Peláez, Vega-Luz & Lozano-Francisco, 2000); Robin 2008: pl. 448, fig. 8.

DESCRIPTION: Shape biconic-fusiform, b/l 0.26–0.31, a/l 0.40–0.43, spire angle 29º–32º, whorls moderately convex with peripheral cord forming a slight angle at or below midwhorl; aperture slightly deltoid in shape, siphonal canal more or less equal to aperture, rostrum slightly recurved, with a narrow but distinct fasciole, sometimes with a very slight false umbilicus. Outer lip in side view convex (slightly opisthocline), with a distinct stromboid notch, edge of lip fluted; siphonal canal moderately shallow, linear, expanding at edge.

Surface smooth and glossy, spiral cords low, in t/s weakly and gradually rounded to broadly and weakly angular, intervals shallow; suture shallow. Subsutural cord strongly impressed, weakly rounded, with a very slight median ridge; sinus cord narrow, medially sunken. Peripheral cord weakly projecting, very slightly angular, base of whorl with a similar but weaker and narrower cord, bordered above and below by a fine intermediary thread. Upper part of base with three low, weakly defined cords, with a finer intermediary between each pair; rostrum with 5–6 fine ridges. becoming obsolete towards termination. Early whorls with the subsutural cord distinctly bifid, peripheral cord angular.

Porcellaneous white to pale brown, main spiral cords with conspicuous rounded or rectangular black or brownish-black spots with white intervals, subsutural region and a broad interrupted band around upper part of base with a dark to reddish-brown suffusion, intervals between cords sometimes similar ly brown; aperture and inner lip white.

Attains ca 95.5 mm in length.

DISTRIBUTION: Japan to Philippines and Solomon Islands, west to Admiralty Is. ( Olivera et al. 2000, as T. babylonia ).

TYPE LOCALITY: Davao Gulf, Mindanao, PHILIPPINES

TYPES: Holotype (Pl. 7, figs A–B) 7.07ºN, 125.71ºE, Samal Is , Davao Gulf, PHILIPPINES, dived, purchased from dealer, August, 2010; dimensions 95.5 x 25.9 mm, MNHN 24944 . Paratype 1 (Pl. 7, fig. C), same locality, 94.0 x 25.5 mm, ( NHMUK 20110208); Paratype 2 (Pl. 7, fig. D), same locality, 86 x 22.6 mm ( ANSP 426053); Paratype 3 (Pl. 7, fig. E), same locality, 93 x 23.4 mm ( MNHN 24435)

Turris gothica , T. rustica , T. pyramidalis , T. vitrea : originally Chemnitz collection and NMPG (Bolten colln), are now apparently lost; the same Chemnitz reference, showing an unidentifiable shell, is given to all. P. marmorata : syntypes possibly in URM and Chemnitz colln, but now probably lost.

REMARKS: Powell (1964) pointed out the existence of a shorter, broader form of Turris babylonia— which he incorrectly regarded as typical—and a slender one (which he equated with Pleurotoma raffrayi Tapparone-Canefri, 1878 , but see Turris undosa ). However, the lectotype of Murex babylonius is in fact a narrowly fusiform shell, with a spire angle of 22º–25º and a longer, straighter siphonal canal. Turris chaldaea , apart from its different proportions, has a relatively shorter siphonal canal, with a distinct stromboid notch and a dark zone below the suture, not seen in T. babylonia . Olivera et al. (2010) demonstrated the two to be distinct species, but erred in identifying the broader, more biconic specimens as the true Turris babylonia .

The name Turris gothica Röding, 1798 , is probably the earliest applicable to the present species, but not only has this name never been used subsequently, but its identity is dependent on Chemnitz’s figures, which lack sufficient details for certainty.

ETYMOLOGY: chaldaeus, resembling the script of the people inhabiting the area of Babylon (Chaldaean), Latin adjective.

Figures

PLATE 7. Turris chaldaea nsp.: A, B—Holotype, Davao Gulf, Samal Is., Philippines, MNHN 24944, 95.5 x 25.9 mm; C—Paratype 1, Davao Gulf, Samal Is., Philippines, NHMUK 20110208, 94.0 x 25.5 mm; D—Paratype 2, Davao Gulf, Samal Is., Philippines, ANSP 426053, 86 x 22.6 mm; E—Paratype 3, Davao Gulf, Samal Is., Philippines, MNHN 24435, 93 x 23.4 mm; F—Misamis Is. Northern Mindanao, Philippines, BO colln, 95.2 x 26.2 mm; G—Fitzroy Is., Queensland, Australia, BO colln, 80.2 x 20 mm; H—Marau Sound, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, BO colln, 70. x 20.2 mm; I—Aliguay Is, N. Mindanao, Philippines, trawled, 30–70 fath, BO colln, 81.7 x 24.0 mm.