Prodotiidae Kantor, Fedosov, Kosyan, Puillandre, Sorokin, Kano, Clark & Bouchet, 2021

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 : 51

Family Prodotiidae Kantor, Fedosov, Kosyan, Puillandre, Sorokin, Kano, Clark & Bouchet, 2021

Diagnosis. “ Shell small- to medium-sized, varying from narrowly fusiform, nearly turriform to broadly biconic with short to medium-long siphonal canal. Protoconch medium-large, with up to four smooth, glossy whorls. Axial sculpture of broad rounded axial ribs of varying strength. Spiral sculpture of distinct, closely spaced cords forming spirally elongated nodules, or raised minute tubercles at intersection with spiral cords. Aperture ovate or elongated; outer aperture lip lirate, or distinctly denticulated; inner lip calloused, with parietal and anal knobs, often bearing denticles.” ( Kantor et al. 2022: 835).

Discussion. Extant species of this family occur in the Indo-Pacific and the tropical Atlantic, at intertidal to subtidal depths ( Kantor et al. 2022). This family has not been recorded so far from Neogene deposits of the Circum-Mediterranean Region.

Genus Prodotia Dall, 1924

Type species. Phos billeheusti Petit de la Saussaye, 1853 [= Prodotia iostoma (J.E. Gray, 1833) ], original designation by Dall (1924: 89). Present-day, Pacific.

Original diagnosis. Dall (1924) did not provide a diagnosis.

Revised diagnosis. Medium-sized fusiform shells with relatively high spire. Whorl profile weakly convex to slightly shouldered. Sculpture of more or less prominent axial ribs overrun by spiral cords often prominently swollen over ribs. Pointed tubercles may occur along shoulder. Aperture relatively narrow. Columella excavated with few denticles, being most prominent in adapical part. Anal canal accentuated by parietal denticle and corresponding denticle in outer lip. Aperture with terminal varix. Outer lip with up to 11 denticles, some of which may be lirate. Siphonal canal moderately long, moderately wide, weakly deflected (based on species included in genus by Kantor et al. 2022; see also Cernohorsky 1975: 177).