Mollusks from late Mesozoic seep deposits, chiefly in California
Author
Kaim, Andrzej
Author
Jenkins, Robert G.
Author
Tanabe, Kazushige
Author
Kiel, Steffen
text
Zootaxa
2014
3861
5
401
440
journal article
42509
10.11646/zootaxa.3861.5.1
0b368704-d9cc-4a82-8248-bc4c06dcf781
1175-5326
252462
E62DB6C3-0C5F-4898-99C4-1BEC70DD1734
Atresius liratus
Gabb, 1869
(
Fig. 8
D, I)
Material and occurrence.
Many specimens from Rocky Creek (probably Valanginian, Early Cretaceous) including single moderately well preserved juvenile shell (GZG.INV.84993).
Remarks.
Atresius liratus
has been of uncertain taxonomic position so far (see
Kiel
et al.
2008b
for
a
review). The extraordinarily similar shell morphology of this species to the Recent bone eating abyssochrysoid
Rubyspira osteovora
Johnson
et al.
2010
led to a suggestion that they may be related (
Johnson
et al.
2010
). Indeed, even the juvenile shells are somewhat similar, although the juvenile shell of
A. liratus
is most reminiscent of the coeval
Paskentana humerosa
(compare
Fig. 8
D, I and 8E, J herein). Therefore, we consider
Atresius
to be a member of the newly established family Paskentanidae fam. nov. Clarifying the relation between
Atresius
(and Paskentanidae) and
Rubyspira
requires further research and collection effort.