Bathyferula, a new Caribbean deep-water turrid genus (Gastropoda: Turroidea), with description of a large-sized new species
Author
Stahlschmidt, Peter
Author
Lamy, Dominique
Author
Fraussen, Koen
text
Zootaxa
2012
3158
65
68
journal article
45664
10.5281/zenodo.210592
b36fcf31-6ffc-4468-97b2-23b276cc7266
1175-5326
210592
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.