Metula kovacsi, Harzhauser & Landau, 2024

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard M., 2024, The Colubrariidae, Eosiphonidae, Melongenidae, Pisaniidae, Prodotiidae and Tudiclidae (Gastropoda, Buccinoidea) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 5427 (1), pp. 1-110 : 11-12

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5427.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:923206B0-E8C5-4FD5-B882-55009ABB0282

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10841051

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CE9F1C-FF90-0C4C-FF65-FC8AEE10F9E3

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Metula kovacsi
status

sp. nov.

Metula kovacsi nov. sp.

Figs 3B View FIGURE 3 , 5A–B View FIGURE 5

Triton (Epidromus) deshayesi Michelotti —Hoernes & Auinger 1884: 180, pl. 22, figs 2–3 [non Cumia deshayesi ( Michelotti, 1847) View in CoL ].

Eutritonium (Epidromus) deshayesi (Michelotti) — Boettger, 1906: 38 [non Cumia deshayesi ( Michelotti, 1847) View in CoL ].

Acamptochetus reticulatus (Bell. Mich.) — Boettger 1906: 47 [non Metula reticulata (Michelotti & Bellardi, 1840) View in CoL ].

Cumia deshayesi ( Michelotti, 1847) View in CoL — Kovács 2022: 67, figs 10–13 [non Cumia deshayesi ( Michelotti, 1847) View in CoL ].

Type material. Holotype: NHMW 1867/0019/0078, SL: 24.3 mm, MD: 9.3 mm, CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1884: pl. 22, fig. 3), Figs 5B View FIGURE 5 1 –B View FIGURE 1 3 View FIGURE 3 ; Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 . Paratypes: NHMW 1868/0001/0434, SL: 29.8 mm, MD: 11.8 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1884: pl. 22, fig. 2), Figs 5A View FIGURE 5 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . Additional paratypes: M.60.6916/1, SL: 26.8, CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Kovács 2022: figs 10–11. M.60.10503, SL: 26.3, CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania), illustrated in Kovács 2022: figs 12–13.

Type locality. CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania), Făget Basin .

Type stratum. Silt and clay of the Dej Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, early/middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. In honor of Zoltán Kovács (Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest), in recognition for his contributions on Paratethyan paleontology.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized, relatively broad fusiform shell with convex whorls and high last whorl, characterized by delicate, regular sculpture of axially and spirally arranged rounded or subquadrate beads, varices relatively weak, elongate ovate aperture with weak columellar callus and narrow row of small denticles close behind peristome.

Description. Medium-sized, relatively broad fusiform shell of six teleoconch whorls; apical angle 48–52°. Protoconch multispiral, high conical of three whorls, first whorl convex, second with faint keel just above abapical suture, last protoconch whorl high, weakly convex; diameter 900μm, height: 1200 μm. Early teleoconch whorls convex with incised suture, bearing close-set axial ribs separated by narrow interspaces and five spiral cords, forming densely spaced rounded to subquadrate beads; abapically beads arranged in rows spirally and axially. Suture undulating around varices. Last whorl moderately high, attaining ~62% of total height, base slowly contracting, fasciole indistinct, bearing 11 spiral rows and about 40 axial rows of beads. About 1.5 broad, irregularly spaced, low and broad varices per whorl.Aperture moderately narrow, elongate ovate. Columella strongly excavated mid-aperture, smooth. Columellar callus forming thin, broad, adherent rim, thinning in parietal region. Anal canal moderately wide. Outer lip weakly thickened with 11–18 distinct denticles placed slightly behind peristome. Terminal varix broad, low. Siphonal canal moderately short and narrow, slightly deflected to the left, shallowly notched at tip.

Discussion. Kovács (2022) proposed placement of this Paratethyan species in Cumia Bivona, 1838 . Cumia species are reminiscent of Colubraria and according to Watters (2009: 272), Cumia and Colubraria are distinguished mainly based on protoconch features (see above). The fewer and weaker varices, the regular growth, the weak columellar callus and the comparatively weak outer lip of the Paratethyan species exclude a close relation with Colubraria or Cumia but suggests placement in the genus Metula .

Metula kovacsi nov. sp. was identified by Hoernes & Auinger (1890) as Metula deshayesi ( Michelotti, 1847) from the Burdigalian of Termô-Fôurà and Baldissero (Colli Torinesi, Italy) ( Michelotti 1847: 250; Bellardi 1873: 229, pl. 14, figs 15a–b). Metula kovacsi is indeed reminiscent of the Italian species in its delicate sculpture but differs in its weaker fasciole and longer siphonal canal. Moreover, Metula deshayesi is much larger than M. kovacsi . We are not aware of such intraspecific variability in shell size in extant Metula species and therefore we consider the size difference as important feature.

Metula reticulata ( Bellardi & Michelotti, 1840) , from the Burdigalian of the Colli Torinesi ( Italy), differs in its even finer, somewhat cancellate rather than beaded sculpture and the slightly higher whorls; its last whorl is weakly shouldered and not evenly rounded (see Bellardi 1873: pl. 11, fig. 9; Brunetti & Della Bella 2016: figs 15H–I). The extant Metula inflata ( Houbrick, 1984) , from the Indo-West Pacific, is reminiscent of Metula kovacsi but differs in its less incised suture and less concave neck. Metula africana Bouchet, 1988 is another similar extant species, which differs most notably in its higher last whorl.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown; the collections from Lăpugiu de Sus indicate a mixing of coastal-inner neritic and middle/outer neritic elements. Extant Metula species inhabit deeper water environments.

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Făget Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus, CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Kovács 2022; hoc opus).

MD

Museum Donaueschingen

NHMW

Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Mollusca

Class

Gastropoda

Order

Neogastropoda

Family

Colubrariidae

Genus

Metula

Loc

Metula kovacsi

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard M. 2024
2024
Loc

Cumia deshayesi ( Michelotti, 1847 )

Kovacs, Z. 2022: 67
2022
Loc

Eutritonium (Epidromus) deshayesi (Michelotti)

Boettger, O. 1906: 38
1906
Loc

Acamptochetus reticulatus (Bell. Mich.)

Boettger, O. 1906: 47
1906
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