Bathyferula, Stahlschmidt, Peter, Lamy, Dominique & Fraussen, Koen, 2012

Stahlschmidt, Peter, Lamy, Dominique & Fraussen, Koen, 2012, Bathyferula, a new Caribbean deep-water turrid genus (Gastropoda: Turroidea), with description of a large-sized new species, Zootaxa 3158, pp. 65-68 : 65-66

Bathyferula new genus

Type species: Bathyferula delannoyei new species, by original designation.

Diagnosis. Shell large, solid. Shape elongate, fusiform, with high spire and moderately elongate anterior canal, which is unnotched. Whorls convex, laterally flattened, with weak subsutural concavity. Spiral sculpture characterized by the presence of fine cords and a flattened subsutural cord. Axial sculpture consisting of short axial ribs on abapical part of upper whorls, becoming obsolete on penultimate and body whorls, with fine incremental lines covering the whole surface. Anal sinus regularly U-shaped.

Remarks. The new genus is characterized by a large and rather heavy shell, a very slender shape, a long anterior canal, and the presence of a weak subsutural fold. Several Caribbean species assigned to Hindsiclava are similar in shape and in possessing a faint subsutural fold but bear a parietal callus and well developed axial sculpture (see Hindsiclava macilenta ( Dall, 1889) , Fig. 9 ). Darbya Bartsch, 1934 , currently known only by the Puerto Rican type species D. lira Bartsch, 1934 , differs in its relatively short anterior canal, its smaller size, its well developed axial sculpture and in having a parietal callus and a well developed columellar fold. There is also similarity to species usually included in Fusiturricula , but the latter genus is distinguished by its long anterior canal, the evenly spaced, well developed axial ribs, and the only very slightly developed subsutural fold. Several species of Leucosyrinx Dall, 1889 may also be mentioned for their somewhat similar shape and the presence of a similar anal sinus, though they differ from the new genus in having thin off-white shells and axial folds with peripheral tubercles. Moreover, a subsutural fold is not presented in Leucosyrinx . The genus Famelica Bouchet & Warén, 1980 resembles the new genus only superficially in shape and spiral sculpture but differs distinctly by the absence of a subsutural fold, the much smaller size and the very fragile shells. Etymology: Bathyferula new genus is derived from bathys (Greek), meaning “deep”, in combination with ferula (Latin) meaning “stake” or “rod”, which refers to the shell shape and colour resembling a stake of wood.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 9. Hindsiclava macilenta (Dall, 1889) 42.4 mm, Barbados, off St James, PSC- 020162.