Contortia saccoi Harzhauser & Landau 2012, nov. comb.
Creators: name: Harzhauser, Mathias
name: Landau, Bernard
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Neogastropoda
Cancellariidae
Contortia
Contortia saccoi

description: Contortia saccoi (Hoernes & Auinger, 1890) nov. comb.   
Figs 6A 1–A 3, 6B 1–B 3  
 Cancellaria Bellardii Micht. —Hörnes 1854: 314, pl. 34, fig. 17 [non Cancellaria Bellardii Michelotti, 1847].   
 Cancellaria Saccoi Hoernes & Auinger 1890: 274 pars.   
 Cancellaria Saccoi Hoern. et Auing. —Hoernes 1890: 131.   
 Cancellaria saccoi Hö. Au. — Boettger 1902: 38.   
 Admete (Bonellitia) evulsa Sol. — Janoschek 1932: 76 [non Cancellaria evulsa Solander in Brander, 1766].   
 Admete (Bonellitia) evulsa Sol. — Sieber 1936: 100 pars [non Cancellaria evulsa Solander in Brander, 1766].   
 Bonellitia evulsa (Sol.) — Sieber 1956: 245 [non Cancellaria evulsa Solander in Brander, 1766].   
 Cancellaria (Bonellitia) evulsa taurinia Sacco — Csepreghy-Meznerics 1969a: 93, pl. 5, figs 35, 36.   
 Cancellaria (Merica) fenestrata Eichwald — Csepreghy-Meznerics 1972: 31, pl. 14, figs 17, 19 [non Cancellaria fenestrata Eichwald 1830].   
 Cancellaria (Merica) contorta saccoi Hoernes & Auinger, 1890 — Janssen 1972: 38, pl. 8, fig. 3.   
 Type material. NHM Vienna (Austria); see below for details.   
 Studied material. 2 spec. Gainfarn-Enzesfeld (mixed lot) (Austria) NHMW 1851 /0013/0056.   
 Illustrated material. Figs 6A 1–A 3: specimen illustrated in Hörnes (1854, pl. 34, figs 17a–b), Gainfarn or Enzesfeld (Austria), height: 27.7 mm, width: 17.9 mm, NHMW 1851 /0013/0056, lectotype designated by Janssen (1972).   
Figs 6B 1–B 3: Gainfarn or Enzesfeld (Austria), height: 26.0 mm, width: 16.9 mm, NHMW 1851 /0013/0056, paralectotype designated by Janssen (1972).  
 Discussion. This species was placed in Merica (as subgenus) by Janssen (1972); the presence of varices and the distinct axial sculpture, however, suggest a placement in Contortia. Janssen (1972) recognised the quite different morphologies of the specimens to which Hoernes and Auinger (1890) referred to when defining their Cancellaria saccoi. Consequently he designated the specimen illustrated as fig. 17 in Hörnes (1854, pl. 34) as lectotype and defined two additional paralectotypes. This species is characterised by its slightly scalate spire, angular whorls, oblique sutural ramp and the conspicuous varices on the last whorl. Its sculpture consists of delicate spiral threads, which are uniform on the sutural ramp but separated into primary, secondary and tertiary threads on the flank and the base. The spiral sculpture crosses the moderately prominent axial ribs without weakening. The columella bears two strong, slightly oblique and close-spaced folds and a weak third one bordering the narrow siphonal canal. No umbilicus is developed; outer lip thickened by a varix and semicircular with very delicate lirae within.   
 It differs from C. tortoniana (Sacco, 1894) distinctly in its lower spire and bulbous last whorl. Two strong columellar folds in C. saccoi are opposed by three folds in C. tortoniana. Landau et al. (2006) erroneously placed this species in the synonymy of Admetula serrata (Bronn, 1831).   
 Distribution. Only known from the Badenian of the Paratethys.   
 Paratethys —Badenian: Vienna Basin (Austria: Gainfarn, Enzesfeld, Steinebrunn, Bad Vöslau, Baden–Sooss, Baden, Möllersdorf); Eisenstadt–Sopron Basin (Austria: Walbersdorf); Styrian Basin (Austria: Ritzing); Transylvanian Basin (Romania: Lăpugiu de Sus, CoŞteiu de Sus).
description: Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2012, A revision of the Neogene Cancellariid Gastropods of the Paratethys Sea 3472, pp. 1-71 in Zootaxa 3472 on page 25