Globodaphne pomum, Criscione & Hallan & Puillandre & Fedosov, 2021

Criscione, Francesco, Hallan, Anders, Puillandre, Nicolas & Fedosov, Alexander, 2021, Where the snails have no name: a molecular phylogeny of Raphitomidae (Neogastropoda: Conoidea) uncovers vast unexplored diversity in the deep seas of temperate southern and eastern Australia, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 191, pp. 961-1000 : 989

GLOBODAPHNE POMUM SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4C, 5B)

Z o o B a n k r e g i s t r a t i o n: u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: F590311C-2E22-41BA-B3E1-558F746AA2BD. Holotype: Australia, New South Wales, Hunter CMR, 2595 m, IN2017_ V03 _070, (–32.575, 153.162), AMS C.482283.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality.

Etymology: The epithet is Latin pomum , apple, in reference to the somewhat apple-like shape of its shell. It is a noun in apposition.

Description

Shell ( Fig. 4C) (SL = 14.1, SW = 10) subglobose, thin-walled, semitranslucent. Protoconch ( Fig. 5B) multispiral, broadly cyrthoconoid, orange, of about three convex whorls; protoconch sculpture of numerous (about 60 on last whorl) thin opisthocline riblets, about half width of interspaces, and (nine on last whorl) weak spiral cordlets, becoming more conspicuous toward transition to teleoconch. Protoconch – teleoconch transition gradual, demarcated by colour transition. Teleoconch of about 2.7 pale orange whorls, suture impressed. Whorls broad, with wide, poorly defined subsutural ramp. Lower portion of whorl evenly convex. Teleoconch sculpture of dense, thin, regularly spaced, moderately arcuate riblets (50 on last whorl) and dense, low, irregularly spaced cordlets (about 90 on last whorl). Riblets extending to suture on first two whorls and becoming somewhat inconspicuous towards base of last adult whorl. Microsculpture of dense, barely detectable collabral growth lines. Last adult whorl evenly convex below subsutural ramp, clearly demarcated from straight, short siphonal canal. Aperture wide, ovate, approximately two-thirds of shell length; outer lip thin, inner lip cream-orange, with thin callus, straight. Anal sinus shallow. Cephalic tentacles long, cylindrical; eyes extremely small. Large introvert, occupying most of rynchocoel volume. Venom apparatus and radula absent.

Remarks

This taxon exhibits some superficial resemblance in shell morphology to Trochodaphne cuprosa , which also possesses a subglobose shell. In terms of differences in shell morphology, Gbodaphne pomum can be distinguished from the latter by its less steep subsutural whorl portion, deeper suture and more delicate spiral sculpture. When compared to Lusitanops F. Nordsieck, 1968 [type species L. lusitanicus (Sykes, 1906) ] and Xanthodaphne (type species X. membranacea ), Glo. pomum has a distinctly more globose shell. Additionally, it can readily be differentiated from Lusitanops by its clearly delineated siphonal canal, and from Xanthodaphne by its comparatively shallow anal sinus.