Metula kovacsi Harzhauser & Landau 2024, nov. sp.
Creators: name: Harzhauser, Mathias
name: Landau, Bernard M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Neogastropoda
Colubrariidae
Metula
Metula kovacsi

description: Metula kovacsi nov. sp.   
Figs 3B, 5A–B  
 Triton (Epidromus) deshayesi Michelotti —Hoernes & Auinger 1884: 180, pl. 22, figs 2–3 [non Cumia deshayesi (Michelotti, 1847)].   
 Eutritonium (Epidromus) deshayesi (Michelotti) — Boettger, 1906: 38 [non Cumia deshayesi (Michelotti, 1847)].   
 Acamptochetus reticulatus (Bell. Mich.) — Boettger 1906: 47 [non Metula reticulata (Michelotti & Bellardi, 1840)].   
 Cumia deshayesi (Michelotti, 1847) — Kovács 2022: 67, figs 10–13 [non Cumia deshayesi (Michelotti, 1847)].   
 Type material. Holotype: NHMW 1867/0019/0078, SL: 24.3 mm, MD: 9.3 mm, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1884: pl. 22, fig. 3), Figs 5B 1 –B 3; Fig. 3B. Paratypes: NHMW 1868/0001/0434, SL: 29.8 mm, MD: 11.8 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1884: pl. 22, fig. 2), Figs 5A 1 –A 2. Additional paratypes: M.60.6916/1, SL: 26.8, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania), illustrated in Kovács 2022: figs 10–11. M.60.10503, SL: 26.3, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania), illustrated in Kovács 2022: figs 12–13.   
 Type locality. CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania), Făget Basin.   
 Type stratum. Silt and clay of the Dej Formation.   
 Age. Middle Miocene, early/middle Badenian (Langhian).   
 Etymology. In honor of Zoltán Kovács (Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest), in recognition for his contributions on Paratethyan paleontology.   
 Diagnosis. Medium-sized, relatively broad fusiform shell with convex whorls and high last whorl, characterized by delicate, regular sculpture of axially and spirally arranged rounded or subquadrate beads, varices relatively weak, elongate ovate aperture with weak columellar callus and narrow row of small denticles close behind peristome.   
 Description. Medium-sized, relatively broad fusiform shell of six teleoconch whorls; apical angle 48–52°. Protoconch multispiral, high conical of three whorls, first whorl convex, second with faint keel just above abapical suture, last protoconch whorl high, weakly convex; diameter 900μm, height: 1200 μm. Early teleoconch whorls convex with incised suture, bearing close-set axial ribs separated by narrow interspaces and five spiral cords, forming densely spaced rounded to subquadrate beads; abapically beads arranged in rows spirally and axially. Suture undulating around varices. Last whorl moderately high, attaining ~62% of total height, base slowly contracting, fasciole indistinct, bearing 11 spiral rows and about 40 axial rows of beads. About 1.5 broad, irregularly spaced, low and broad varices per whorl.Aperture moderately narrow, elongate ovate. Columella strongly excavated mid-aperture, smooth. Columellar callus forming thin, broad, adherent rim, thinning in parietal region. Anal canal moderately wide. Outer lip weakly thickened with 11–18 distinct denticles placed slightly behind peristome. Terminal varix broad, low. Siphonal canal moderately short and narrow, slightly deflected to the left, shallowly notched at tip.   
 Discussion. Kovács (2022) proposed placement of this Paratethyan species in Cumia Bivona, 1838. Cumia species are reminiscent of Colubraria and according to Watters (2009: 272), Cumia and Colubraria are distinguished mainly based on protoconch features (see above). The fewer and weaker varices, the regular growth, the weak columellar callus and the comparatively weak outer lip of the Paratethyan species exclude a close relation with Colubraria or Cumia but suggests placement in the genus Metula.   
 Metula kovacsi nov. sp. was identified by Hoernes & Auinger (1890) as Metula deshayesi (Michelotti, 1847) from the Burdigalian of Termô-Fôurà and Baldissero (Colli Torinesi, Italy) (Michelotti 1847: 250; Bellardi 1873: 229, pl. 14, figs 15a–b). Metula kovacsi is indeed reminiscent of the Italian species in its delicate sculpture but differs in its weaker fasciole and longer siphonal canal. Moreover, Metula deshayesi is much larger than M. kovacsi. We are not aware of such intraspecific variability in shell size in extant Metula species and therefore we consider the size difference as important feature.   
 Metula reticulata (Bellardi & Michelotti, 1840), from the Burdigalian of the Colli Torinesi (Italy), differs in its even finer, somewhat cancellate rather than beaded sculpture and the slightly higher whorls; its last whorl is weakly shouldered and not evenly rounded (see Bellardi 1873: pl. 11, fig. 9; Brunetti & Della Bella 2016: figs 15H–I). The extant Metula inflata (Houbrick, 1984), from the Indo-West Pacific, is reminiscent of Metula kovacsi but differs in its less incised suture and less concave neck. Metula africana Bouchet, 1988 is another similar extant species, which differs most notably in its higher last whorl.   
 Paleoenvironment. Unknown; the collections from Lăpugiu de Sus indicate a mixing of coastal-inner neritic and middle/outer neritic elements. Extant Metula species inhabit deeper water environments.   
 Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Făget Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania) (Kovács 2022; hoc opus).
description: Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard M., 2024, The Colubrariidae, Eosiphonidae, Melongenidae, Pisaniidae, Prodotiidae and Tudiclidae (Gastropoda, Buccinoidea) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea, pp. 1-110 in Zootaxa 5427 (1) on pages 11-12, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5427.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10841061