Halotudora gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846 )

Watters, G. Thomas, 2014, A revision of the Annulariidae of Central America (Gastropoda: Littorinoidea), Zootaxa 3878 (4), pp. 301-350 : 310-313

Halotudora gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846)

Figures 3 A–N , 12 B

Type material. Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846 : NHMUK unnumbered (3), specimens from Cuming collection bearing Pfeiffer’s handwriting of “Dyson, Honduras ” may be syntypes. Cyclostoma radiosum Morelet, 1849 : ANSP 14097 (1), as syntype in Richardson et al., 1991.

Type locality. Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846 : “in Honduras.” Restricted by Thompson (2011) to Belize. Cyclostoma radiosum Morelet, 1849 : “ petrosa provinciae Petenensis.”

Type figured. Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846 : Pfeiffer, 1847b: pl. 10, figs. 28, 29. Cyclostoma radiosum Morelet, 1849 : unfigured.

Cresonymy.

Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846: 47 ; Pfeiffer, 1847a: 105; Pfeiffer, 1847b: 79 –80, pl. 10, figs. 28, 29; Pfeiffer, 1848: 79 –80; Petit de la Saussaye, 1850: 45; Watters, 2006: 283.

Cyclostoma radiosum Morelet, 1849: 22 ; Watters, 2006: 430.

Cistula ? gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846) . Gray, 1850: 59.

Cistula gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846) . Pfeiffer, 1851: 170; Pfeiffer, 1852a: 264 –265; Pfeiffer, 1853a: 185; Adams & Adams, 1856: 294; Pfeiffer, 1858: 131; Pfeiffer, 1865: 142; Bland, 1866: 61; Pfeiffer, 1876: 187; Fischer & Crosse, 1890: 218.

Chondropoma gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846) . Reeve, 1863b: pl. 9, fig. 68; Martens, 1890: 14, 18.

Ctenopoma grüneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846) . Fischer & Crosse, 1890: 188, 191.

Chondropoma (Chondropoma) grunneri [sic] ( Pfeiffer, 1846). Henderson & Bartsch, 1921: 62.

Choanopoma (Choanopomops) gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846) . Solem, 1961: 195, 203.

Halotudora gruneri ( Pfeiffer, 1846) . Watters, 2006: 73, 283.

Chondropoma (Chondropomium) gruneri (Pfeiffer, 1861) . Thompson, 2011: 44, 278.

Distribution and habitat. Endemic to limestone outcrops of the Maya Mountains and Vaca Plateau in Cayo and Toledo districts, Belize, and adjacent Livingston area in Izabal Department, Guatemala. Often abundant.

Conservation. Portions of the populations occur in the Swasey Bladen and Columbia Forest reserves in Belize.

Other material (specimens examined: 324). Belize. Belize District: UF 135010 (32), Rockville quarry, 125 m. Toledo Department: UF 207837 (1), UF 207776 (125), limestone ridge 1.0 km S of Aguacate, 100 m; UF 13532 (18), quarry near San Pedro Columbia; UF 207738 (48), limestone ridge 2.0 km N of Blue Creek, 75 m; UF 207876 (92), limestone hill 3.2 km E of Blue Creek, 75 m; UF 207683 (86), limestone hill 1.0 km W of San Felipe, 75 m; UF 211817 (4), Bladen Columbia Forest Reserve; UF 207915 (12), limestone ridge 4.5 km S of Trio, 100 m; UF 371986 (15), summit at entrance to cave, Cerrito. Cayo District: UF 135109 (5), vicinity of Herman’s Cave and Blue Hole National Park; UF 135101 (10), St. Margaret at Hummingbird Hwy. Guatemala. Izabal Department: GTW 13724d (1), Livingston.

Three additional specimens of this species, UF 8290, are labeled as “mouth of cave, Mount Palo, Honduras.” This probably refers to British Honduras, now Belize, but this site has not been located.

Description. Shell conical, moderately high-spired, thin, translucent, with a waxy appearance. Smallest adult specimen seen 18.7 mm in length, largest 28.9 mm, average 22.0 mm (decollate). Protoconch usually lost as adult, 1.5 prominent, rounded, pale whorls. Teleoconch of 4.5–5 rounded whorls. Umbilicus nearly occluded by outer lip. Spiral sculpture of numerous faint, crowded low cords, slightly stronger in the umbilicus. Axial sculpture of numerous microscopic fine lines that render the shell microscopically decussate. Most specimens with axial hairline stress marks or fractures; others have repaired cracks to the shell. Suture strongly indented, not channeled. Tufts absent but the axial lamellae may render the suture microscopically serrate. Aperture nearly circular. Inner lip present or absent, smooth, narrowly exserted. Outer lip strongly lamellate, widely reflected perpendicular to whorl, evenly expanded, except much narrower facing umbilicus, scarcely or not at all auriculate posteriorly, widely adnate to previous whorl or rarely narrowly solute (fig. 13 M). Base color dingy white to pale orange, first teleoconch whorl reddish-orange in some specimens. Unicolor or with wide, spiral, interrupted brown bands, bands most conspicuous on anterior half of shell. Outer lip white with bold, radiating brown rays on both faces of peristome. Inside of aperture brownish-orange or white with the outer pattern showing through. Operculum paucispiral, with a thick reflected plate composed of numerous recurved lamellae. Radula and anatomy unknown.

Variation in specimens. Specimens vary in the height of the spire and the degree and intensity of the color patterns.

Comparison with other species. This species can be confused only with H. kuesteri , from which it differs in its larger size (average length = 22 mm in H. gruneri , 15 mm in H. kuesteri ) and the smooth, waxy appearance of the shell.

Remarks. See “Remarks” under H. kuesteri .

Reeve (1863b), text to pl. 9, fig. 68, adequately described this unusual species: “Of a peculiar dull, delicately transparent substance, faintly sculptured.” The shells of most specimens are so thin that they show evidence of more or less continuous damage in the form of fracture and stress lines.

This is the largest annulariid in Central America. Often lumped with H. kuesteri in collections, it is clearly a distinct species. It co-occurs with H. kuesteri but does not occupy as great a range.

Original description (translated here from Latin). Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846 . “Shell perforate, ovate-oblong, decollate, thin, crowded spirals and weak striae, crowded longitudinal lines, more or less decussate, pale yellowish-brown; 4 convex whorls, last brown banded below the periphery, near open umbilicus brown spotted; suture average, nearly simple; aperture subcircular; peristome double, inner erect, acutely exserted, outer widely fringed, a little concave, interrupted at penultimate whorl, formed into crowded radiations on both sides.” 21 mm.

Original description (translated here from Latin). Cyclostoma radiosum Morelet, 1849 . “Shell swollenpyramid, perforate, very numerous decussations, translucent, pale yellowish-brown, red interrupted lines saturate the final whorl, base colored with diverging rays; spire acuminate-turret, more frequently truncated; 8 rather convex whorls, last swollen; aperture rotund-oval, pretty shining bands; peristome expanded, concave, undulatelamellate, top upper half appressed; lip thin, acute, generally fimbriated towards the umbilicus.” 20 mm.

Etymology. Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846 : Type specimen from the collection of “Herrn Konsul Gruner zu Bremen.” Cyclostoma radiosum Morelet, 1849 : L. radiosus —radiant.

Figures

FIGURE 3 A – O. Halotudora gruneri (Pfeiffer, 1846). A – B. Cyclostoma gruneri Pfeiffer, 1846, figured type, Pfeiffer, 1847 b: pl. 10, figs. 28, 29. C. Reeve, 1863 b: pl. 9, fig. 68. D. UF 135232, 19.9 mm. E. UF 135232, 19.1 mm. F – G. UF 207776, 20.1 mm. H. GTW 13724 d, 14.7 mm. I – J. UF 207683, 22.9 mm. K. UF 211817, 22.4 mm. L. UF 207915, 20.6 mm. M. UF 207876, 28.9 mm. N. UF 207876, 23.1 mm. O. “ Cyclostoma radiosum ” Pfeiffer, 1854 a: pl. 37, figs. 15, 16. FIGURE 3 P – Z. Halotudora kuesteri (Pfeiffer, 1852). P. Reeve, 1863 b: pl. 9, fig. 69. Q. Pfeiffer, 1854 a: pl. 41, figs. 9, 10. R – T. UF 268056, 13.6 mm. U. GTW 13724 d, 16.5 mm. V. Cistula sargi Crosse & Fischer, 1883, syntype MNHN-IM- 2000 - 5579, length unknown, photo courtesy of MNHN. W. GTW 13724 h, 12.9 mm. X. GTW 13724 f, 19.5 mm. Y – Z. Grego coll., Rio Frio Cave, 17.8 mm.

FIGURE 12 A – D. Distribution maps. A. Choanopomops largillierti (Pfeiffer, 1846) (black); Parachondria rubicundus (Morelet, 1849) (red); Parachondria cordovanus Pfeiffer, 1857 (blue); Paridoxipoma enigmaticum new species (white). B. Halotudora sumichrasti (Crosse & Fischer, 1874) (blue); Halotudora gaigei (Bequaert & Clench, 1931) (black); Diplopoma osberti (Tristram, 1861) (red); Halotudora gruneri (Pfeiffer, 1846) (white). C. Gouldipoma chiapasense (Crosse & Fischer, 1877) (red); Diplopoma rigidulum (Morelet, 1851) (black); Tudorisca andrewsae (Ancey, 1886) (blue); Gouldipoma coltrorum new species (white); Gouldipoma thomasi (Solem, 1961) (purple). D. Gouldipoma trochlearis (Pfeiffer, 1852) (red); Halotudora kuesteri (Pfeiffer, 1852) (black); Gouldipoma terecostatum (Thompson, 1966) (blue); Gouldipoma chrysostiria new species (purple); Gouldipoma callipeplum (Solem, 1961) (white).