Conus (Stephanoconus) moissettei Psarras & Merle & Koskeridou 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Psarras, Christos
name: Merle, Didier
name: Koskeridou, Efterpi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Neogastropoda
Conidae
Conus
Conus moissettei

description: Conus (Stephanoconus) moissettei sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 057EF9CB-D76D-47D3-9545-699C1B7F5454
Figs 26–28, 40L; Table 12
Etymology
Species named after Pierre Moissette, member of the Action spécifique du Muséum project (1989–1990).
Material examined
Holotype GREECE – Crete • Adhraktia; Messara Basin; 1990;Action spécifique du Muséum project (1989–1990) exped.; MNHN.F.A83071.
Paratypes GREECE – Crete • 2 specs; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN.F.A83072, MNHN.F.A83073.
Other material
GREECE – Crete • 1 spec.; 1990; Action spécifique du Muséum project (1989–1990) exped.; MNHN.F.A83074 • 1 spec.; 1990; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN.F.A83075 • 1 spec.; 1990; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN.F.A83076 • 5 specs; 1990; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN.F.A83077 to MNHN.F.A83081.
Shell description
Small shells (SL max.: 24.17 mm). Early spire whorls elevated, convex to conical, tuberculated. Later spire whorls smooth, straight to convex, with channelled suture. Spire whorl outline conical to slightly coeloconoid in early spire whorls, conical to convex in later spire whorls. Subsutural flexure shallow, moderately curved, moderately asymmetrical (Fig. 40L). Shoulder smooth, rounded to slightly angulated, with maximum diameter right below shoulder. Aperture of narrow to medium width, widening towards shell’s anterior part. Last whorl straight to slightly widened below shoulder. Fasciole short, slightly twisted. No spiral grooves on last whorl.
Description of colour pattern
On the spire whorls, the colour pattern consists of irregular, bright-fluorescent flammulae. On the last whorls, the first colour pattern level consists of three, widely spaced, fluorescent spiral bands. The bands exist near the shoulder, at the middle and anterior parts of the last whorl. The second level consists of very closely arranged, spiral lines of dashes, which can vary from very long to dot-like dashes (Fig. 27). In between the dashes, non-fluorescent dashes exist, usually creating axially to diagonally spaced, nonfluorescent areas, in the form of blotches. The intensity of the fluorescent colours is not constant in the levels of patterns (Fig. 28). The first level is illuminated with a fade-fluorescent colour. The colour intensity of the second level is axially directed, from fade-fluorescent to bright-fluorescent in colour, creating axially arranged, bright-fluorescent areas of dashes, suppressed by non-fluorescent blotches. The non-fluorescent dashes, between the fluorescent ones, are visible when the second pattern overlaps the first.
Remarks
This species is identifiable from the rest of the studied specimens in the small size of the shells and the intricate colour pattern variation of dashes and bands. Conus (Stephanoconus) cf. taurinensis is distinguishable from this species by the early highly conical spire whorls, the smoother spire whorl outline, with less inflated sutural ramps and a different colour pattern. The shell shape of Conus (Stephanoconus) moissettei sp. nov. resembles a specimen of Conus (sensu lato) vindobonensis Hoernes & Auinger, 1879 (Harzhauser & Landau 2016: fig. 35e and discussion), but the Austrian species differs by a more elongated shell shape, a deeper subsutural flexure and spiral grooves on the anterior part of last whorl. Its colour pattern is not known.
Stratigraphic range
Tortonian of Greece (Crete) (this work).
Concluding remarks about Conus (Stephanoconus) Mörch, 1852
Here, this subgenus is identified in the Miocene of Europe for the first time. Three species are assigned to this subgenus: Conus (Stephanoconus) asterousiaensis (Psarras & Koskeridou & Merle, 2021), Conus (Stephanoconus) cf. taurinensis and Conus (Stephanoconus) moissettei sp. nov. The phylogenetic tree of Lin et al. (2021: fig. 2) points to C. genuanus and C. chiangi being closely related (see Remarks for Conus (Stephanoconus). The Cretan species represent a link between the West African and the Indo-Pacific species.
description: Published as part of Psarras, Christos, Merle, Didier & Koskeridou, Efterpi, 2022, Late Miocene Conidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Crete (Greece). Part 2, pp. 1-70 in European Journal of Taxonomy 816 on pages 41-45, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2022.816.1747, http://zenodo.org/record/6484261