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
Genus
Fenimorea
Bartsch, 1934
Type
species:
Fenimorea janetae
Bartsch, 1934
by original designation (Recent, off the north coast of
Puerto Rico
).
Diagnosis.
According to Bartsch, shell tall-spired, fusiform, truncated anteriorly with a large body whorl and short, wide anterior canal. Protoconch has approximately two smooth, rounded whorls. Sculpture is dominated by axial ribs that may be few or numerous, extending from suture-to-suture but reduced and crescent-shaped in the shoulder sulcus; by a hump-like varix approximately ⅓-turn behind the outer lip; by spiral sculpture of ridges anteriorly, spiral threads in the sulcus, and by microscopic wavy or jagged lines and incremental growth lines that form a microscopic shingle-like pattern over most of the shell surface. The anal sinus is deep, rounded at its apex, and offset from the suture at its entrance by a parietal callus. Usually a colorful shell with bands and/or patches of brown or reddish brown set on a whitish base.
Key characteristics.
The presence of all of the following characteristics is diagnostic of
Fenimorea
and separates it from other TWA drilliid genera:
1. Shell surface microsculpture of very fine spiral grooves or ridges spaced greater than their width and intersected by more closely spaced axial growth striae that give grooves or ridges a jagged appearance, and between the striae are “pits” or axially aligned depressions (see
Plate 65
). In some species this pattern is overlain with stronger, irregularly-spaced growth striae and widely spaced shallow but broader spiral grooves that end in dimples or “teeth” at the edge of the outer lip;
2. Ribs usually numerous, run from suture-to-suture, abruptly reduced in the sulcus, becoming lower, narrower, and recurved, reminiscent of the outline of the anal sinus.
3. Varix variable, hump-like (in apical view, low and broad) in shallow water species, and usually higher and narrower in deep water species, positioned between ¼- to ⅓-turn from the edge of the outer lip, frequently with a dark color blotch in species that have colored bands; and
4. Anal sinus a deep U-shaped notch located close to the suture and often offset laterally by a parietal lobe, with flared edge such that the sinus appears spout-like in some species.
Species in this genus appear to fall into two separate morphological
types
that are linked to their habitat. Those from shallow water (
0–50 m
) are smaller (<
30 mm
), have low, broad, hump-like varices, lower ribs, wider, more distinct sulci, and shorter anterior canals.
Fenimorea fucata
(Reeve, 1845)
is an example this shallow water
type
, as all that are depicted in
Plate 102
. Deep water species, those commonly found at greater than
50 m
depth, are among the largest of the genus (>
30 mm
), and sometimes (not consistently) have higher, narrower varices, bolder ribs, narrower sulci, and longer anterior canals with a tapering last whorl. An example of a large species of this
type
is
Fenimorea janetae
,
and of smaller ones are
Fenimorea pagodula
(Dall, 1889)
,
Fenimorea petiti
Tippett, 1995
, and
Fenimorea moseri
(Dall, 1889)
.
Nomenclatural notes.
The nomenclatural status of
Fenimorea
has been unsettled (as exemplified by the synonymy list under
F. f u c at a
below). Some modern workers treat
Fenimorea
as a genus, others as a junior synonym of
Splendrillia
. This latter group includes Turgeon
et al.
(1998: 257) who list
F
.
fucata
,
F
.
halodorema
Schwengel, 1940
,
F
.
kathyae
Tippett, 1995
,
F. moseri
(Dall, 1889)
,
F
.
pagodula
(Dall, 1889)
,
F. sunderlandi
(Petuch, 1987)
, and
F
.
petiti
Tippett,
1995
in
Splendrillia
on the basis of Petuch's placement of
F. janetae
Bartsch, 1934
, the
type
of the genus, in
Splendrillia
(Petuch, 1987: 18, 19).
Fenimorea
is treated as a subgenus of
Splendrillia
by Espinosa
et al.
(1995).
Fenimorea
is treated as a separate genus in this work, as explained below.
Gibson (1962: 235) states that
Fenimorea
is mainly distinguished by its scale-like ornamentation but feels that this character may not be of generic value. The microsculpture of
Fenimorea
is unique to the genus as defined herein however, and this and other characteristics easily distinguish it from
Splendrillia
. In addition to possessing a unique microsculpture,
Fenimorea
is generally larger and stockier, has a deep anal sinus, usually set off from the suture by a parietal callus, has ribs that extend from suture-to-suture, although usually transition in shape and size in the sulcus, and ribs that are straight or only slightly oblique.
Splendrillia
on the other hand, has ribs that terminate at the sulcus and are short and oblique in most species of the group. The anal sinus lies closer to the suture, is usually not offset by a large parietal callus, but rather there is a low callus in front of the sinus; i.e., the outer lip joins the suture behind the callus.
Fenimorea
usually has more colorful shells with blotches or bands of deep color that contrast markedly against the shell’s whitish base color.
Splendrillia
has a glossier shell, is smaller, slimmer, and of a more subdued color, but sometimes with darker blotches, especially on the varix. These differences are significant enough to separate the two at the genus level.
PLATE 65.
Fenimorea
spp. microsculpture: low and high magnification SEM images. Figs. 1–2.
Fenimorea janetae
Bartsch, 1934
, Gold Rock, Great Bahama I., Bahama Is., 160x & 1,410x, respectively (ANSP 369721).
Figs. 3–4.
Fenimorea fucata
(Reeve, 1845)
, North Hawksbill Creek, Grand
Bahama
I.,
Bahama
Is., 235x & 780x, respectively (ANSP 370549).
Figs. 5–6.
Fenimorea fabae
,
new species
,
paratype
, Freeport, Grand
Bahama
I.,
Bahama
Is., 265x & 2,600x, respectively (ANSP 370199). All SEM images courtesy Paul Callomon, ANSP.
Similar genera.
Fenimorea
is most similar to
Decoradrillia
,
new genus
. It differs in possessing a distinct sulcus, lower and more numerous ribs, and a hump-like varix, although these characteristics are not all present in deep water species. Shell surface microsculpture is an important distinguishing characteristic. The difference is explained under genera difference in the introduction to
Decoradrillia
. Compare the SEM images of the microsculptures of the two genera in
Plates 51
and
65
for illustration of their differences.
Clathrodrillia
differs principally in possessing much stronger spiral grooves without overriding growth striae that produces the “pits” seen in
Fenimorea
. Its growth striae are finer than the spiral grooves. The shell of
Fenimorea
is generally not as high-spired and without turreted whorls.
Neodrillia
differs in possessing stronger, coarser, raised spiral threads, not fine grooves (such that the surface of the shell has the feel of sandpaper); growth striae are much finer than the spiral threads.
Distribution.
Members of the genus are found throughout the TWA in both near shore and offshore habitats. At least one species,
Fenimorea fucata
(Reeve, 1845)
, is widespread. Others,
Fenimorea moseri
(Dall, 1889)
and
Fenimorea petiti
Tippett, 1995
, are distributed on both sides of the Florida peninsula, but most species are more limited in their geographic range. See
Plates 101–103
for graphical presentations of the known occurrences of species. Although widespread, more species rich and abundant than other drilliid genera, the genus
Fenimorea
appears to be found nowhere else except in the TWA.