Turris grandis (Gray, 1833)

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 : 27-28

Turris grandis (Gray in Griffiths & Pidgeon, 1833)

Plate 15 , figs A–E

Pleurotoma grandis Gray in Griffiths & Pidgeon, 1833: 599, pl. 23, fig. 1; Reeve 1843: pl. 2, sp. 13; Weinkauff 1875: 10, pl. 1, fig. 3. Type loc.: not given.

Turris grandis ; Vera-Peláez, Vega-Luz & Lozano-Francisco 2000: 2, pl. 3, figs 4–6 (protoconch), pl. 7, figs 8–10; Li & Li 2007: 64 , pl. 1, fig. 1; Olivera, Sysoev, 2008: pl. 682, figs 3–4.

Pleurotoma crispa (non Lamarck, 1822); Kiener 1839: 8, pl. 2, fig. 1.

Turris crispa (non Lamarck, 1822); Olivera 2000: 297, pl. 1, spec. 1 a–b, pls 2, 6.

DESCRIPTION: Shell very large and acuminately fusiform (b/l 0.19–0.24, a/l 0.44–0.48), siphonal canal very long (usually more than half total length of aperture), straight or bent slightly to the right. Anal sinus deep and linear, widening at the opening.

Early whorls with three ridges, the median one granular. On later whorls, subsutural cord bears an angular ridge, with a weaker one on either side. Sulcus equal in width to cord, shallow and gradually sloping with a median spiral ridge, and weak threads on either side. Sinus cord low, slightly concavely tabulate. Base of spire whorls with 4–5 angular cords, the uppermost projecting slightly as the peripheral cord, their intervals relatively sharply incised and wider than cords (or equal to them), with irregular intermediary threads. Base of last whorl with ca 32 spiral ridges, upper ones with 1–2 intermediary threads, ridges on rostrum finer and equal in strength. Collabral threads somewhat lamellar, particularly subsuturally.

Off-white with small reddish or purplish-brown spots and dots, mostly spirally elongated and rarely extending across intervals, occasionally obsolete.

Protoconch cyrtoconoid, of about 2.3 whorls, first 1.5 whorls smooth, last one with arcuate axial ribs, colour white (after Vera-Peláez et al. 2000).

Very large, attaining at least 185 mm.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines and Indonesia to Vietnam and China (Hainan, Guangdong and Beibu Gulf, fide Li & Li 2007), 61–150 m, in sandy mud.

TYPES: P. grandis : holotype NHMUK 1875.4.29.1 (pl. 15, figs A–B), dimensions 137.5 x 29.2 mm .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: VIETNAM: off Nha Trang, 10–25 m ( NMSA L8204: N. Thach). PHILIPPINES: Olango Is., fishermen, Guido Poppe colln; between Sogod and Bogo, N. Cebu, trawled (BO colln).

REMARKS: Although Hedley (1922) and Powell (1964) regarded Pleurotoma grandis as a synonym of P. crispa, Vera-Peláez et al. (2000) reaffirmed its distinctness from that species, as did Olivera (2000, as T. crispa crispa ). Turris grandis differs from T. crispa in its larger maximum size (it is the largest member of the genus), proportionally narrower siphonal canal, colour pattern of spots rather than axial bars, less lamellar collabral threads, more numerous spiral ridges (i.e. 4–5 basal cords on later spire whorls, instead of only 3) and a protoconch of 2.0–2.3 whorls, against 3.0–3.5 whorls (with a smaller nucleus) in T. crispa .

Figures

PLATE 15. Turris grandis (Gray, 1833): A, B—Holotype of Pleurotoma grandis, locality unknown; NHMUK 1875.4.29.1, 137.5 x 29.2 mm; C, D—Sogod, Cebu, Philippines, BO colln, 130.3 x 25.9 mm, E—Vietnam, NMSA L8204, N. Thach, 112.1 x 21.1 mm.