Beringius aurulentus, Mclean & Clark, 2023

Mclean, James H. & Clark, Roger N., 2023, Seven new genera and thirty-four new species of buccinoid gastropods (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae) from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Zootaxa 5351 (2), pp. 151-201 : 168-170

Beringius aurulentus n. sp.

Figure 12 A–D urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:52353F2F-07C7-43FB-9344-14A0E1718D58

Type locality: Tahoma Bank, W of Buldir Island, Aleutian Is. , Alaska (52°26.12 N, 175°40.99 E), 147 m. ( NMFS 94-200201 - 167 ) .

Type material: Holotype, LACM 3577, 117 mm. (leg. RNC, 9 July, 2002, trawled, R/ V Vesteraalen) ; Paratypes: Pt 1, SBMNH 464996 , 92.4 mm; Pt 2, USNM 1606661, 105.4 mm. W of Uliaga Island , Islands of Four Mountains (53°07.07 N, 169°52.12 W), 321 m. ( NMFS 57-200201 - 38 ); Pt 3, CASIZ 236198 , 99.5 mm. SE of Yunaska Island , Islands of Four Mountains (52°44.8 N, 170°39.3 W), 87 m ( NMFS 143-201001 - 78 ); Pt 4, RNC 4701 , 88.6 mm. (type locality) .

Description: Shell moderately large (to 117 mm, Holotype), slender, nearly fusiform, suture impressed; white to pale tan; periostracum golden-tan. Protoconch with 2.5 whorls, with spiral and oblique cords forming diamond-like lattice; teleconch with 4.5–5 whorls. Axial ribs faint or lacking, but bearing very numerous, fine, close-set, raised axial threads. Spiral sculpture (when present), consists of a few barely detectable cords (on old, thick specimens, i.e., paratype three). Aperture short, much less than half of shell height, canal short, broad.

Radula ( Fig. 12D ): Rachidian tooth broader than long, lateral edges rounded, anterior and posterior edges slightly indented. Lateral teeth large, tricuspid; outer cusp thick, tapering, strongly curved, or distal half, and often bearing a small protrusion near the base on the inside, forming a notch between it and the central cusp; central cusp many times smaller than outer one, and slightly curved outward; inner denticle about twice as large as central one, broad, strongly curved inward.

Remarks: This species resembles Beringius incisus (Dall, 1907) (figs. 9D–G) [herein recognized as distinct from the variable Beringius kennicottii (Dall, 1871) (figs. 8A–G) on account of its fine, regular, spiral threads], but is distinguished by 1) the lamellar periostracum, and 2) the fine axial threads on the whorls as opposed to spiral threads only in Beringius incisus .

Etymology: Latin, aurulentus , “golden, or made of gold”, in reference to the color of the periostracum.

Distribution: Central Aleutian Islands, from Kagamil Pass, Islands of Four Mountains (169°50’ W) to Tahoma Reef, W of Buldir Island (175°40’ E), at depths of 147– 321 m.

Habitat: Broken hydrocoral/sponge, and gravel bottoms, with a bottom temperature of 4–4.4°C.

Figures

FIGURE 12. A–D. Beringius aurulentus n. sp.; A. Holotype, LACM 3577, W of Buldir Island, 147 m, 117 m; B. Paratype, RNC 4701, Type locality, 88.6 mm; C. RNC 4701, close-up of periostracum; D. Radula, RNC 4701, bar = 200 µm; E–G. Beringius maristempestus n. sp.; E. Holotype, LACM 3576, W of Attu Island, 221 m, 111.5 mm; F. Holotype, close-up of sculpture; G. Radula, holotype, bar = 200 µm; H–K. Beringius undataformis n. sp.; H. Holotype, LACM 3578, Stalemate Bank, 184 m, 143.0 mm; I. Paratype, RNC 4893, Stalemate Bank, 184 m, 131.0 mm; J. RNC 4893, close-up of periostracum; K. Radula, holotype, bar = 200 µm.