Maculauger sophiae
Creators: name: Harzhauser, Mathias
name: Landau, Bernard M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Neogastropoda
Terebridae
Maculauger
Maculauger sophiae

description: Maculauger sophiae (Halaváts, 1884)
Figs 18A–F
Terebra Basteroti Nyst — Hörnes 1852: 132, pl. 11, fig. 28 [non Strioterebrum basterotii (Nyst, 1845)].
* Terebra (Myurella) Sophiae nov. form.— Halaváts 1884: 180, pl. 4, fig. 7.
Terebra (Myurella) sophiae Halav. — Strausz 1954: 37, pl. 2, fig. 38.
Terebra sophiae Halaváts —Straus 1966: 390, pl. 4, figs 38–39.
Strioterebrum (Strioterebrum) scarabelli [sic] (Coppi)— Davoli 1977: 153, pl. 2, fig. 12 [non Maculauger scarabellii (Coppi, 1876)].
Terebra (Terebra) sophiae Halaváts, 1884 — Bałuk 1997: 69, pl. 25, figs 6–7.
? Strioterebrum (Strioterebrum) scarabelli [sic] (Coppi, 1876)— Davoli 2003: 459, pl. 3, figs 7–8, 11 [? non Maculauger scarabellii (Coppi, 1876)].
Terebra (Terebra) sophiae Halaváts, 1884 — Bałuk 2006: 216, pl. 16, fig. 6.
Terebra (Strioterebrum) basteroti Nyst, 1845 — Caze et al. 2010: 34, text-fig. 5H [non Strioterebrum basterotii (Nyst, 1845)].
Terebra sophiae Hallavats [sic], 1884— Ramazotti 2017: 31.
Type material. The holotype was stored in the collection of the Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary in Budapest but seems to be lost (pers. comm. Klára Palotás); SH: 32 mm, MD: 6 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania).
Illustrated material. NHMW 2016/0177/0951, SL: 19.5 mm, MD: 4.4 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), Figs 18A 1 –A 2. NHMW 2016/0177/0951a, SL: 14.6 mm, MD: 3.3 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), Figs 18B 1 –B 2. NHMW 2016/0177/0951b, SL: 14.2 mm, MD: 3.2 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), Figs 18C 1 –C 2. NHMW 2016/0177/0951c, SL: 15.9 mm, MD: 3.4 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), Figs 18D 1 –D 2. NHMW 2010/0004/1098a, SL: 13.2 mm, MD: 3.4 mm, Bad Vöslau (Austria), Figs 18E 1 –E 2. NHMW 2010/0004/1098b, SL: 10.4 mm, MD: 3.1 mm, Bad Vöslau (Austria), Figs 18F 1 –F 2.
Additional material. NHMW 1855 /0045/0052, 1846/0037/0126, SL: 18.8 mm, MD: 4.6 mm, Vienna / Pötzleinsdorf (Austria), illustrated in Hörnes (1852: pl. 11, fig. 28),
Revised description. Small, slender conical shell of up to11 teleoconch whorls with weakly cyrtoconoid early spire; apical angle ~25–27°, later decreasing to ~6–10°. Protoconch unknown. Early teleoconch whorls relatively low, conical, with broad, prominent, more or less orthocline axial ribs. Later whorls conical to nearly subcylindrical. Indistinct but coarse tubercles, broad subsutural band attaining about one third of whorl height, delimited by deep, narrow groove. Whorl profile distinctly constricted below spiral groove resulting in slightly hourglass-like profile of whorls. Axial ribs subobsolete within constriction but strengthening again towards abapical suture, forming dropshaped, opisthocline axial ribs. Spiral sculpture only occasionally present as faint spiral threads in axial interspaces. Last whorl moderately high, ~35% of total height, with rounded basal angulation, rapidly constricting. Fasciole weak, delimited by carina of very variable strength. Aperture narrow. Columella slightly twisted, moderately excavated in adapical half. No columellar fold. Columellar callus forming thin rim, poorly delimited from base. Anal canal indistinct, narrowly incised. Outer lip not preserved. Siphonal canal moderately long, very narrow, twisted, shallowly notched. Color pattern (according to Caze et al. 2010) consisting of subquadratic blotches coinciding with beads in subsutural band and along abapical suture.
Discussion. This species is characterized by its hourglass-shaped whorl profile with a distinct spiral groove and sculpture of elongate beads at the abapical suture. Terebra foveolata according to Glibert 1952a (pl. 14, fig. 9), from the Langhian of the Loire Basin (France), is superficially similar but lacks the mid-whorl constriction. The specimen illustrated by Glibert (1952a) is identified herein as Maculauger scarabellii (Coppi, 1876). Maculauger scarabellii (Coppi, 1876), from the Tortonian of Italy, is reminiscent of M. sophiae (Halaváts, 1884). Based on the first available illustration in Sacco (1891a: pl. 2, fig. 13) and the specimens illustrated by Davoli (1977: pl. 2, figs 3–5, 8–11), M. scarabellii differs from M. sophiae in its prominent spiral sculpture, a subcylindrical whorl profile and a shorter siphonal canal. Specimens from the Messinian of Italy, illustrated by Davoli (2003) as Strioterebrum scarabelli [sic] lack prominent spiral cords and have a conical spire and might be closer to Maculauger sophiae. Davoli’s record needs confirmation and is provisionally excluded from the distribution.
Paleoenvironment. Coastal inner neritic. The occurrence at Várpalota (Hungary) indicates agitated coastal marine environments (own data, M.H.).
Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Korytnica Basin: Korytnica (Poland) (Bałuk 2006); Vienna Basin: Bad Vöslau, Vienna /Pötzleinsdorf (Austria) (hoc opus); Pannonian Basin: Várpalota (Hungary) (Strausz 1954); Făget Basin: Lăpugiu des Sus (Romania) (Hoernes & Auinger 1880).
Genus Terebra Bruguière, 1789
Type species. Buccinum subulatum Linné, 1767; subsequent designation by Lamarck (1799: 71). Present-day, Indo-West Pacific.
Original diagnosis. “Coq[uille]. turriculée; ouverture échancrée inférieurement; base de la columelle torse ou oblique” [Turriculated shell; aperture indented below; base of columella twisted or oblique] (Lamarck 1799: 71).
Revised diagnosis. “Elongate, medium-sized to large, reaching 192 mm; truncated base abruptly constricted to siphonal canal, sometimes with distinct angulation. Sculpture from very weak, limited to often obsolete subsutural groove, to very strong. Subsutural band simple, or consisting of two closely set cords, often gemmate. Lower whorl portion smooth or with varying sculpture, with spiral elements being as strong or stronger than axials. Shell base separated from siphonal canal by concave waist. Aperture elongate to quadrangular” (Fedosov et al. 2020: 368).
Discussion. In regard to the columellar folds, the Paratethyan Terebridae can be separated into three groups:
1. no columellar folds: Fusoterebra, Hastula, Hastulopsis, Oxymeris
2. one columellar fold: Terebra transylvanica Hoernes & Auinger, 1880
3. two columellar folds: Terebra acuminata (Borson, 1820), Terebra neglecta Michelotti, 1847, Terebra golebiowskii nov. sp.
Fedosov et al. (2020) did not discuss the presence or absence of columellar folds in their molecular phylogeny as important for systematics but Bartsch (1923) and Olsson (1967) considered it an important conchological feature, which was tentatively followed by Landau & da Silva (2010). Bartsch (1923) distinguished Terebra and Myurella / Myurellina based on the presence of one or two folds respectively.
Following the scheme of Bartsch (1923) would require placing Terebra acuminata (Borson, 1820), Terebra neglecta Michelotti, 1847 and Terebra golebiowskii nov. sp. into Myurellina sensu Bartsch (1825). Terebra ornata Gray, 1834, the type species of Myurellina, turned out to group within Terebra in the molecular phylogeny of Fedosov et al. (2020) and therefore, Myurellina was treated as subjective junior synonym of Terebra. Terebra fenestrata Hinds, 1844 is another Terebra species with two columellar folds. In the Miocene Oreoterebra Olssen 1967 [type species: Terebra mauryae Olssen, 1967 (= Terebra haitensis Dall, 1895)] from the Caribbean Region, one or two columellar folds may be present as well (Woodring 1970: 404) [note that Oreoterebra might be a junior subjective synonym of Terebra].
Thus, the presence of prominent columellar fold(s) seems to be a reliable feature to distinguish Terebra from most other terebrids, whereas the number of folds does not allow an additional separation.
description: Published as part of Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard M., 2023, The auger snails (Gastropoda, Conoidea, Terebridae) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea, pp. 1-70 in Zootaxa 5385 (1) on pages 41-43, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5385.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10376252