Abyssomelania, Kaim, Andrzej, Jenkins, Robert G., Tanabe, Kazushige & Kiel, Steffen, 2014

Kaim, Andrzej, Jenkins, Robert G., Tanabe, Kazushige & Kiel, Steffen, 2014, Mollusks from late Mesozoic seep deposits, chiefly in California, Zootaxa 3861 (5), pp. 401-440 : 414

Genus Abyssomelania gen. nov.

Type species. Abyssomelania cramptoni sp. nov.; Campanian (Late Cretaceous), from seep limestones found at Waipiro Bay, North Island, New Zealand (see Kiel et al. 2013).

Diagnosis. Large, high-spired shell with abyssochrysoid early teleoconch whorls (reticulate with dominant axial ribs) and adolescent/adult whorls smooth apart from opisthocline growth lines and unusual widely-spaced prosocline riblets (named here abyssomelanid riblets) manifested only on abapical portion of the flank.

Species included: The type species and A. campbellae sp. nov.

Remarks. Abyssomelania is most similar to Ascheria gen. nov. described below but it differs by having the greatest whorl width at the adapical suture and lacking a subsutural constriction. Abyssochrysos Tomlin, 1927 is usually smaller and more slender and has axial ribs present throughout the ontogeny. Humtulipsia Kiel, 2008 differs by having a deep notch near the basal margin. None of these genera possess the prosocline abyssomelanid riblets.

Etymology. Abysso - referring to deep water occurrences and – melania to express the gross melaniform shell shape.

Stratigraphic range. Albian (Early Cretaceous) to Campanian (Late Cretaceous).