Tudiclidae Cossmann, 1901

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 : 57

Family Tudiclidae Cossmann, 1901

Revised diagnosis. “ Shell medium-sized to medium-large, from 10 to about 100 mm in adults, with very short to very long siphonal canal, sometimes twisted or strongly inclined abaxially. Protoconch paucispiral, usually large to very large and bulbous. Axial sculpture usually present at least on adapical whorls, of rounded axial ribs or knobs varying in strength, rarely absent. Spiral sculpture completely absent, or represented by striae or cords of variable strength and density. Outer aperture lip smooth or lirate inside, inner lip calloused, sometimes bearing a parietal knob.” ( Kantor et al. 2022: 832).

Discussion. The family was revised by Kantor et al. (2021) based on molecular data. The living Euthria J.E. Gray, 1850 and Tudicla Röding, 1798 were placed in this family by Kantor et al. (2021). In addition, the extinct Euthriofusus Cossmann, 1901 , was moved into Tudiclidae by Lozouet (2021: 33) based on conchological similarities with the Tudiclidae genus Afer Conrad, 1858 . The family can be traced back to the Late Oligocene with species, such as Euthriofusus peyreirensis Peyrot, 1928 , from the northeastern Atlantic. This occurrence might hint at an Eocene/Early Oligocene origin in the tropical Eastern Atlantic. Cretaceous genera, listed in Tudiclidae by Saul (1988) and Harasewych (2018) belong to extinct families, such as Pyropsinae Stephenson, 1941 (within Pholidotomidae Cossmann, 1896 ), Perissityidae Popenoe & Saul, 1987 and Johnwyattidae Serna, 1979 (see Bandel 1993; Snyder 2003).

Genus Tudicla Röding, 1798

Type species. Murex spirillus Linné, 1767 ; subsequent designation by Angas (1878: 611). Present-day, Indo-West Pacific.

Revised diagnosis. “[…] rounded body whorl, distinctive inductura, a long, well-demarcated siphonal canal, as well as a sharply defined siphonal fold […]” ( Harasewych 2018: 36).

Discussion. Tudicla is characterized by an extraordinarily long siphonal canal, a blunt columellar fold and prominent parietal fold. A large, mammillate protoconch is also typical for Tudicla and some other Tudiclidae such as Afer Conrad, 1858 ( Fraussen 2008; Harasewych 2018). First records of this genus probably date back to the Late Oligocene of Japan (e.g., Tudicla japonica Takeda, 1953 , Tudicla ishii Matsui, 1959 , see Takeda 1953: pl. 2, figs 13–15; Matsui 1959: pl. 2, fig. 4), but the poor preservation does not allow a clear identification. The oldest undoubted occurrences are Early Miocene records of Tudicla rusticula (de Basterot, 1825) from the Circum-Mediterranean Region. During the Middle Miocene, Tudicla hoernesi ( Stur, 1870) represents a second European Tudicla species. Additional Middle Miocene species might be represented by Tudicla angulata Tate, 1888 , T. costata Tate, 1888 and T. turbinata Tate, 1888 from southern Australia (age according to Squires 2011). These species will need confirmation, because the illustrations in Tate (1888) do not show any of the important apertural features. Tudicla was also reported from Cretaceous, Paleocene and Eocene strata (e.g., Cox 1925; Traub 1979; Abdel-Gawad 1986) but in our opinion ‘ Tudicla’ krenkeli Cox, 1925, from the Maastrichtian of Mozambique, and several species described by Abdel-Gawad (1986) from the Maastrichtian of Poland, belong in the Pyropsinae Stephenson, 1941. Similarly, Squires (2011: 1204) rejected Paleocene and Eocene occurrences and excluded these from Tudicla . For synonyms of Tudicla see Harasewych (2018: 36).