Turris intercancellata, Kilburn & Fedosov & Olivera, 2012

Kilburn, Richard N., Fedosov, Alexander E. & Olivera, Baldomero M., 2012, Revision of the genus Turris Batsch, 1789 (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Turridae) with the description of six new species, Zootaxa 3244 (1), pp. 1-58 : 32-33

Turris intercancellata sp. nov.

Plate 18 , figs A–D

DESCRIPTION: Shell fusiform (b/l 0.26–0.28, a/l 0.43–0.45), with long, tapering siphonal canal, inclined to the left, with a slight fasciole. Interior of aperture with 11–14 spiral ridges. Anal sinus relatively shallow, parallelsided; outer lip in side-view rounded and opisthocline, stromboid notch ill-defined.

Suture shallow, subsutural region relatively wide, subsutural cord very low to flattened and ill-defined, bearing 3 moderately angular ridges, the sutural one weakest, anterior one strongest. Sulcus ill-defined, very shallowly and slopingly concave, containing 2–3 spiral threads. Sinus cord strongest and forming a very slight shoulder, although not peripheral, wide and slightly concave-topped, crenulated on early whorls. Base of spire whorls bearing 3–4 unequal narrow spiral cords, all asymmetrically angular, uppermost cord strongest, forming periphery; intervals 2–3 times width of cords and filled with 3–5 thin but well-developed spiral threads. Base of last whorl with 16–18 angular, well-spaced spiral ridges, with a weaker one in each interval, plus 8–16 (sometimes weak) threads on rostrum. Collabral threads strong and dense, rendering intermediary sculpture more or less cancellate, coarser ones pliculate, those immediately below sinus cord very strongly, almost spirally inclined.

White, main cords occasionally with inconspicuous, pale brown flecks. When fresh with traces of dull olivebrown periostracum in interstices.

Protoconch missing in all types.

Dimensions: 82.1 x 22.4 mm (holotype); largest paratype 91.4 x 23.8 mm.

TYPE LOCALITY: West of Cape Comorin, Kerala, S. W. India, 300– 400 m.

TYPES: Holotype (Pl. 18, figs A–B) NHMUK 20110299 , off Kerala , West of Cape Comorin, India, 300–400 m, 82.0 x 21.3 mm ; paratypes NMSA L7998, same data as holotype .

REMARKS: Turris intercancellata differs from other members of the Turris crispa complex in all or most of the following characters: siphonal canal shorter and broader (resembling T. bipartita in this character), collabral sculpture strong but simple, instead of lamellar and crinkled, rendering the cord intervals more or less obliquely cancellate; subsutural cord barely developed; main cords lack secondary spiral threads; cords on base of spire whorls relatively weak and widely-spaced; colour pattern absent or consisting of faint dots. In general sculpture this species resembles the form of T. bipartita described as Pleurotoma indica Deshayes, 1833 , but the latter (pl. 5, figs G–J) differs markedly in proportions and has a pronounced fasciole, which is absent in T. intercancellata .

A large quantity of specimens of this species was found in a box in a dealer’s warehouse in Tuticorin; according to the dealer, this sample was trawled west of Cape Comorin.

Figures

PLATE 18. Turris intercancellata nsp.: A, B—Holotype, NHMUK 2011029, off Kerala, West of Cape Comorin, India, 300–400 m, 82.0 x 21.3 mm; C, D—Paratype 1, same data, NMSA L7998, 78.9 x 19.9 mm.