Heleobia carcotensis Collado, Valladares & Méndez, 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Collado, Gonzalo A.
name: Valladares, Moisés A.
name: Méndez, Marco A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Littorinimorpha
Cochliopidae
Heleobia
Heleobia carcotensis

description: Heleobia carcotensis sp. nov.
Figure 2
Holotype. (MZUC – UCCC 43802, Fig. 2A). Collected by G.A. Collado from Spring 1 in the Carcote saltpan, Chile (28 November 2011). Shell measurements SL 4.4 mm, SW 2.0 mm, AL 1.7 mm, AW 1.1 mm.
Paratypes. (MZUC – UCCC 43803–43807, Fig. 2B–F). Snails from Spring 1 in the Carcote saltpan, Chile, collected with the holotype by G.A. Collado. Shell measurements: (n= 5): SL: 4.52 ± 0.35 (4.20–4.90); SW: 1.98 ± 0.11 (1.90– 2.10); AL: 1.80 ± 0.20 (1.60–2.10); AW: 1.16 ± 0.15 (0.99–1.30); SW/SL: 0.44 ± 0.01 (0.43–0.45); AL/SL: 0.40 ± 0.01 (0.38–0.42); AW/AL: 0.64 ± 0.05 (0.59–0.70).
Etymology. Specific name refers to the Carcote saltpan.
Description. Shell elongate conic, periostracum light brown, umbilicus absent. Teleoconch with six shell whorls and fine axial striae. Aperture ovate, slightly triangular or strongly angled adapically; parietal margin of the lip slightly thickened, outer lip thin. Protoconch (Fig. 2G) slightly differentiated from teleoconch.
Operculum paucispiral, thin, ovate, grayish around a central light brown region, nucleus eccentric (Fig. 2H–I). Radula shown in Fig. 2 J–O. Median cusps of central radular teeth elongate, distally pointed, lateral cusps five-six (n= 20, 10 teeth from voucher V1–2, five from V1–8, five from V1–8), one basal cusp (n= 30, 10 teeth from each of the vouchers), basal tongue of central radular teeth V-shaped, lateral teeth with two-three cusps (n= 18, 10 teeth from voucher V1–2, six from V1–8, two from V1–10) on inner and three-five cusps (n= 30, 10 teeth from voucher V1–2, 10 from V1–5, 10 from V1–8) on outer side, central cusp larger and pointed. Inner marginal teeth having 19–22 cusps (n= 10, six from voucher V1–2, four from V1–8), outer marginal teeth with 29–42 cusps (n= 3, voucher V1–2).
Foot gray, propodium white, head brown-black with less pigment centrally, snout black, distal lips white. Tentacles black with a brow, central axial band and a gray horizontal band near the base (Fig. 2P–R). Penis gray with a row of three - five apocrine glands (n= 3) along the outer edge (Fig. 2S–U); distal portion with a terminal papilla.
Distribution and habitat. Spring 1 in the Carcote saltpan (3688 m above sea level). This saltpan is a closed basin in the Chilean Altiplano. Spring 1 is a thermal water body (21°C) that forms a rectangular pool that discharges to the central zone of the saltpan (Fig. 1). Snails were found on rocks and aquatic vegetation.
Remarks. The morphology of the penis of this new species conforms to Heleobia as currently diagnosed (Hershler & Thompson 1992). The shell morphology differs from regional congeners in the form of the aperture (strongly angled adapically) and in the general ground plan of the penis [see Hubendick (1955), Collado et al. (2011a), Collado et al. (2013) and Collado (2015) for comparisons]. Heleobia carcotensis appears to be closely related to the Heleobia snails from Colpa, Parinacota and Isluga in the Chilean Altiplano and H. opachensis from the Atacama Desert.
description: Published as part of Collado, Gonzalo A., Valladares, Moisés A. & Méndez, Marco A., 2016, A new species of Heleobia (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae) from the Chilean Altiplano, pp. 277-280 in Zootaxa 4137 (2) on pages 278-279, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4137.2.8, http://zenodo.org/record/263885