Sinetectula shepstonensis (Tomlin, 1926) gen. et comb. nov.

Figs 8, 10S–T

Pollia shepstonensis Tomlin, 1926: 291, pl. 16 fig. 4 (see Fig. 10S).

Cantharus (Prodotia) shepstonensis – Cernohorsky 1975: 203, fig. 63.

Prodotia shepstonensis – Kilburn et al. 2010: 52, unnumbered fig.

Type locality

“Beach End near Port Shepstone”.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 dd; Kwazulu-Natal Coast, Port Shepstone; NHM (UK) 1926.12.6.6 (see Fig. 10T).

Other material

OMAN • 3 lv; Mirbat; depth 30 m; J. Rosado leg.; Nov. 2016; KF 8048 (see Fig. 8A–B) .

SOMALIA • 1 dd; “Somalia”; KF 1627 • 2 dd; off Somalia, deep water; KF 2208 (see Fig. 8C–G).

Distribution

Sinetectula shepstonensis gen. et comb. nov. is known from South Africa in the south, along Somalia to Oman in the north.

Remarks

Sinetectula shepstonensis gen. et comb. nov. shares all characteristics with S. cinis gen. et comb. nov., apart from the presence of a labral denticle. Specimens from deep water (see Fig. 9C–G) are more slender, with a laterally more flattened spire very similar to S. cinis gen. et comb. nov.; shallow water specimens have slightly more convex whorls. One of the specimens has the apex in rather good condition without too much erosion and shows a conical, rather high, multispiral protoconch consisting of 3 whorls with a small tip.

Sinetectula cinis gen. et comb. nov. is almost identical in sculpture but differs from S. shepstonensis gen. et comb. nov. in its rougher sculptured edge of the outer lip with a labral denticle, the slightly stronger spiral sculpture in combination with much weaker secondary spiral cords, the laterally weakly flattened whorls (instead of convex), the slightly stretched base (instead of constricted) resulting in a slightly broader siphonal canal and a much darker colour.

Sinetectula nigricostata gen. et comb. nov. looks similar to but differs from S. shepstonensis gen. et comb. nov. in its slightly more convex whorls, the slightly finer spiral sculpture, the stronger axial ribs that are lower in number, the constricted base with longer siphonal canal and a much darker pattern consisting of fine spiral lines.