Taxonomic review of tropical western Atlantic shallow water Drilliidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Conoidea) including descriptions of 100 new species
Author
Fallon, Phillip J.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4090
1
1
363
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4090.1.1
e6b35f5a-435e-4473-b29e-1e4d842f84b0
1175-5326
263299
203BAC25-B542-48FE-B5AD-EBA8C0285833
Agladrillia aureola
,
new species
(
Plate 1
)
Agladrillia
(?)
lassula
auct. non Jung, 1969 is a misidentification by Petuch (1981: 311, 338; figs. 109, 110) for living specimens from
Venezuela
(Falcon: Gulf of Triste, not examined).
A. lassula
was described from the Springvale Formation of
Trinidad
(Jung, 1969: 550, pl. 59, figs. 1–3) [=Late Pliocene (Carr-Brown & Frampton, 1979)].
Agladrillia lassula
auct. non Jung, 1969 are misidentifications by Williams (2009: 1501, [right photo only]) and Daccarett & Bossio (2011: 128–129, fig. 777) that are likely this species.
Type
material.
Holotype
12.0 x
4.3 mm
, G. Mackintosh!
9 Nov 1999
(USNM 1291318); 2
paratypes
: 1 spec., 11.1 x
4.3 mm
, in
9 m
, S side of Coche I.,
Venezuela
, G. Mackintosh!
3 Sep 1999
(ANSP 464965); 1 spec., 10.3 x
3.9 mm
, in
15–18 m
, Caribe & Lobos Is., near Coche I.,
Venezuela
, G. Mackintosh!
Sep 1999
(P. Stahlschmidt coll.).
Type
locality.
Bahia Guamache I., Margarita I.,
Venezuela
, in
5 m
on hard-packed sand.
Range and habitat.
Venezuela
(Margarita I.; Coche I.), at depths between 5.5–18.0 m. If the specimen depicted in Daccarett & Bossio is this species, then the range would include
Colombia
(Magdalena Dept.) to the north.
Description.
Shell
small (to 12.0 mm in total length), glossy, fusiform, to approximately 10 moderately convex whorls, their peripheries approximately mid-whorl, the last about 55% of total length, flattened dorsoventrally and rapidly tapering to a narrow anterior canal. Shell sculpture of ribs with deep intercostal spiral grooves.
Protoconch
of approximately 1½–1¾ smooth translucent whorls, becoming sub-carinate on last ½–¾ whorl, the first not immersed in the second.
Axial sculpture
narrow ribs that run from suture-to-suture on spire whorls evanesce at anterior fasciole of last whorl, absent on dorsum of last except in sulcus; intercostal spaces greater than their width. Ribs straight, then crescent shaped in sulcus, number 9–10 on penultimate and 5–8 on last whorl to varix.
Spiral sculpture
of evenly spaced deep grooves in intercostal spaces (rib crests are smooth) more closely spaced in sulcus. Grooves present across the dorsum of the last whorl. Grooves give the appearance of closely packed spiral cords, number approximately 7 on penultimate,
10 in
shell base, and 7 on anterior fasciole.
Sulcus
is marked by crescent-shaped ribs on the whorl shoulder that are lower than the sigmoid ribs on the whorl face, ribs overridden by spiral grooves giving sulcus the appearance of having 3–4 spiral cords.
Varix
hump-like, positioned ½-turn from edge of outer lip; its position resulting in the appearance of the body whorl of being compressed dorso-ventrally.
Outer lip
thin, projecting, its edge congruent with and from anal sinus forming a low almost flat arch to stromboid notch where it is bent out at the stromboid notch and follows the anterior canal; stromboid notch deep. The dorsum of the last whorl is thin, translucent, and except for their presence in the sulcus, ribs obsolete; to 4
minor
axial folds present on the last ¼ turn.
Anal sinus
deep, U-shaped, entrance slightly constricted by parietal lobe, inner edge flared out.
Inner lip
erect anteriorly along canal, recumbent and widest on parietal wall and developed into a lobe posteriorly at the anal sinus. Incremental growth layers visible on side of parietal lobe.
Anterior canal
moderately long, narrow, open and turned slightly to the right and dorsally; deeply notched.
Color
golden yellow, rib crests lighter, varix white and dorsum of last whorl orange brown.
Remarks.
Taxonomy
.
Agladrillia aureola
has the characteristics of
Agladrillia
: a varical hump ½-turn from the edge of the outer lip, strongly constricted anterior canal, and a dorsum on last whorl mostly devoid of ribs.
Variability.
The average length of three specimens is
11.13 mm
(11.1–12.0 mm) and average W/
L ratio
is 0.375.
Identification.
Agladrillia aureola
most closely resembles
A. rhodochroa
(Dautzenberg, 1900)
. It differs in color, which is golden yellow with an orange brown varical spot, not pink with a brown varical spot, and in relative whorl height, which is shorter in
A. rhodochroa
. Also, whorls are more convex and axial ribs less oblique than in
A. rhodochroa
. From
Calliclava tobagoensis
,
new species
A. aureola
differs in possessing a smooth protoconch, a greater constriction of the anterior canal and a varix located ½-turn from the edge of the outer lip. The latter species has a carinate protoconch, a less-constricted anterior canal, and a varix located about ⅓-turn from the edge of the outer lip.
Etymology.
The Gold colored
Agladrillia
, from the Latin adjective
aureolus
, feminine
aureola
, meaning golden or gold colored. The color seems to consistently differentiate this species from the somewhat similar
A. rhodochroa
, which has some violet, pink or rose color.