Coralliophila wegmuelleri Harzhauser, Landau & Merle, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Harzhauser, Mathias
name: Landau, Bernard M.
name: Merle, Didier
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Neogastropoda
Muricidae
Coralliophila
Coralliophila wegmuelleri

description: Coralliophila wegmuelleri sp. nov.
Figs 41, 44A–C
Ocenebra polymorpha (Brocchi 1814) — Pfister & Wegmüller 2007: 158, pl. 4, figs. 1–9 [non Heteropurpura polymorpha (Brocchi, 1814)].
Type material. Holotype: NMBE Nr. B7630, SL: 29 mm, MD: 24 mm, Belpberg (Switzerland); illustrated in Pfister & Wegmüller 2007: 158, pl. 4, figs. 4–6; figs. 44A 1 –A 4. Paratypes: NMBE Nr. B7629, SL: 25 mm, MD: 22 mm, Belpberg (Switzerland); illustrated in Pfister & Wegmüller 2007: 158, pl. 4, figs. 1–3; figs. 44B 1 –B 3. NMBE Nr. D2825, SL: 19 mm, MD: 19.5 mm, Aarwald (Switzerland); illustrated in Pfister & Wegmüller 2007: 158, pl. 4, figs. 7–9; figs. 44C.
Type locality. Belpberg (Switzerland), North Alpine Foreland Basin.
Type stratum. Belpberg layers (Upper Marine Molasse).
Age. Early Miocene, Eggenburgian/Ottnangian (Burdigalian).
Etymology. In honor of Urs Wegmüller (Naturhistorisches Museum Bern) in recognition of his contributions on the Early Miocene mollusc faunas from Switzerland.
Diagnosis. Medium-sized, stout biconic shell with low conical spire, deeply incised suture and very prominent P1 cord forming broad, bulging cord along shoulder, most of surface below covered by subsequent whorl; base conical with prominent, strongly raised primary cords and weaker secondary cords.
Description. Medium-sized, stout biconic shell with low conical spire; apical angle ~120°. Protoconch unknown. Teleoconch consisting of up to five whorls. Suture very deeply incised, shallowly undulating. Early teleoconch whorls with very broad, weakly convex subsutural ramp, strongly angled shoulder close above abapical suture, deeply incised below.Axial sculpture of about eight low, broad, poorly defined ribs. Spiral sculpture of weak adis and IP. P1 forming broad, bulging cord along shoulder, most of surface below covered by subsequent whorl. Last whorl attaining ~80% of total height; conical with broad, shallow subsutural ramp, strong shoulder, rapidly contracting below. Axial sculpture of up to 11 broad axial ribs, prominent along shoulder, fading over subsutural ramp and base. Subsutural ramp coarsely scabrose close to suture. Spiral sculpture on subsutural ramp of broad adis and IP separated by slightly narrower interspaces; P1 forming very prominent, rounded, elevated cord along shoulder; P2 atrophied follows directly below P1; P3 prominent; P1–P3 close set; P4, P5 weaker than P1, s3–s4 very weak, recessed; on siphonal canal probably ADP and MP. Fasciole moderately swollen, twisted, delimiting broad pseudoumbilicus. Aperture poorly preserved, ovate. Columella strongly excavated, smooth. Siphonal canal moderately short, probably open.
Discussion. Coralliophila wegmuelleri sp. nov. was confused by Pfister & Wegmüller (2007) with the Mediterranean Pliocene Heteropurpura polymorpha (Brocchi, 1814). Both species develop a characteristic prominent P1 along the shoulder but C. wegmuelleri differs from the Pliocene species in its much lower spire, the lower position of the shoulder placed just above the abapical suture on spire whorls and the shorter base and siphonal canal. The shape of the spire with a wide subsutural ramp with P1 being the most prominent cord delimiting the shoulder placed just above the adapical suture are characteristic features in many Coralliophilinae. The cord pattern with prominent P1 and closely attached P2 is not common in the Coralliophilinae but is present in the extant Indo-Pacific Coralliophila candidissima Oliverio, 2008. Therefore, we place this species in Coralliophila.
Paleoenvironment. Shallow sublittoral lagoon (Pfister et al. 2011).
Distribution in Central Paratethys. Eggenburgian/Ottnangian (Early Miocene): North Alpine Foreland Basin: Belpberg, Aarwald (Switzerland) (Pfister & Wegmüller 2007).
description: Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias, Landau, Bernard M. & Merle, Didier, 2025, The Muricidae (Gastropoda, Muricoidea) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea (Aspellinae, Ergalataxinae, Coralliophilinae, Rapaninae), pp. 1-106 in Zootaxa 5611 (1) on pages 76-77, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5611.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15215738