Solatisonax alleryi (Seguenza G., 1876)

Fig. 16 i–k

Solarium allerii Seguenza, 1876 [a] (p. 10).

Heliacus (Granoheliacus) alleryi (G. Seguenza, 1876) —Melone & Taviani 1984 (p. 175, figs. 42–47). Heliacus alleryi (Seguenza, 1878) — Barash & Danin 1992 (p. 66, fig. 63).

? Solatisonax sp. aff. alleryi (G. Seguenza, 1876) — Bieler 1993 (p.179, figs. 148–150). Heliacus (Granoheliacus) alleryi (Seguenza G., 1876) — Bogi et al. 2002 (p. 34, figs. 7–9). Heliacus alleryi (Seguenza G., 1876) — Repetto et al. 2005 (p. 225, top left fig.). Solatisonax alleryi (G. Seguenza, 1876) — Bieler & Petit 2005 (p. 76).

Solatisonax alleryi (Seguenza G., 1876) — Beck et al. 2006 (p. 83, bottom fig.).

Diagnostic characters. Conical-depressed shell; rather low spire; roundly trapezoidal aperture; narrow and deep umbilicus bordered by a row of pointed knobs; spiral rows of granules; sharp peripheral keel; strong spiral cord encircling the umbilicus. Protoconch: heterostrophic; about 2 whorls; first whorl deeply immersed, last whorl bulging from the top of the spire; diameter about 770 µm; surface smooth; transition to the teleoconch marked by a thin, everted lip.

Remarks. It is of note that the original spelling allerii was modified in 1878 by Monterosato, and the new spelling alleryi has been exclusively used for this taxon afterwards (cf. Bieler & Petit 2005).

Occurrence. Box-corer samples BC11 (1 specimen), BC67 (4), BC71 (7), BC72 (7); cores BC04 (2), BC21 (1), BC51 (5), BC67 (2), BC72 (6). Maximum diameter: 8 mm.

Distribution and habitat. Solatisonax alleryi ranges from the eastern Atlantic (including seamounts) to eastern Mediterranean, dwelling on mud at circalittoral to bathyal depths (Melone & Taviani 1984; Beck et al. 2006). The Indopacific specimens reported by Bieler (1993) come from mud, sand and stones of the lower sublittoral zone (178–430 m).

Fossil record. Pliocene of Tuscany, central Italy (Bogi et al. 2002); Pleistocene of southern Italy (Melone & Taviani 1984; Di Geronimo & La Perna 1997; Di Geronimo et al. 2005).