Triforis aspera Jeffreys, 1885

Albano, Paolo G., Bakker, Piet A. J. & Sabelli, Bruno, 2019, Annotated catalogue of the types of Triphoridae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Natural History Museum of the United Kingdom, London, Zoosystematics and Evolution 95 (1), pp. 161-308 : 161

Triforis aspera Jeffreys, 1885

Figure 42

Triforis aspera Jeffreys 1885: 58-59, pl. VI, figs 7, 7a.

Original localities.

Porcupine Expedition 1870: off western Portugal, station 16 (994 fathoms, 39°55'N, 9°56'W); off south-western Portugal: station 24 (292 fathoms, 37°19'N, 9°13'W); Gulf of Cádiz: stations 27 (322 fathoms, 36°37'N, 7°33'W), 28 (304 fathoms, 36°29'N, 7°16'W), 28a (286 fathoms, 36°27'N, 6°54'W), 29 (227 fathoms, 36°20'N, 6°47'W) and 30 (386 fathoms, 36°15'N, 6°52'W); the Adventure Bank in the Sicily Channel.

Type material.

Syntypes: NHMUK 1885.11.5.2673, 1 specimen, Porcupine Expedition; NHMUK 1885.11.5.2674, 1 fragment, Porcupine Expedition station 16 (fide modern label) ; NHMUK 1885.11.5.3934-5, 2 fragments, Adventure Bank; NHMUK 1885.11.5.3936, 1 specimen glued on cardboard, Porcupine Expedition, "Coast of Spain " (from original label) ; NHMUK 1885.11.5.3937-8, 2 specimens (but one is not T. aspera , see remarks), Porcupine Expedition, “Atlantic” (from original label) ; NHMUK 1985008, 32 fragments or juveniles, Porcupine Expedition, Adventure Bank 92 fathoms (fide modern label) (coll. E.R. Sykes). Additional syntypes USNM 87324, not seen .

Original description.

Shell elongated, rather solid, nearly opaque and glossy: sculpture, rows or bands of small tubercles (18-20 on the last or bottom row), which arise from the mutual intercrossing of longitudinal and spiral striae; of these rows there are usually three on the last whorl above the periphery, and the same number on several of the succeeding whorls and afterwards two only; each of the apical whorls (3 or 4) is closely striated lengthwise and encircled by two spiral lines; the periphery is defined by a rather strong ridge, a little below which is another ridge, besides a shorter and smaller one at the base; the tubercles which compose the lower two rows are larger and more prominent than those of the uppermost or third row: colour pale yellowish, with a faint tinge of brown; apical whorls dark brown: spire tapering to a fine point; apex pinched-in and narrower than the rest of the spire: whorls 21-22, compressed, gradually enlarging; the last equals only from 1/5 to 1/6 of the shell: suture slight, indicated by the uppermost spiral row: mouth rhomboidal; and all other characters similar to those of T. perversa. L. 0"6, B. 0'15.

Diagnosis.

The two adult specimens among the syntypes are 13.7 and 15.1 mm. Shell conical with 18 teleoconch whorls bearing three spiral cords with spiny tubercles at the intersection with orthocline axial ribs. A fourth and a fifth smooth cord are present on the base, and the fourth is already visible on the spire as a suprasutural cord. Numerous fine spiral threads adorn the whorls between the main cords and fine growth lines are also visible. Siphonal canal short. Protoconch multispiral of 4.5 whorls; the last three bearing two strong spiral keels and axial riblets whereas the first are too worn for description. Teleoconch brown with lighter tubercles and whitish first three whorls; protoconch orange-brown.

Remarks.

Specimen NHMUK 1885.11.5.2673 (Fig. 42A-C ) is likely the one used for the original figure because it is the only adult specimen with complete protoconch known and because of an annotation on the original label. Bouchet and Guillemot (1978) proposed the nomen novum Triphora brychia because of omonymy with Triforis asper Deshayes, 1864, which is a fossil species from the Paris Basin ( Le Renard and Pacaud 1995; Le Renard 1995). Lot NHMUK 1885.11.5.3937-8 contains an adult specimen which is not T. aspera , as already noted by Warén (1980): it is broader, with more numerous axial ribs and with the first tubercled spiral cord clearly visible only from mid-teleoconch (Fig. 42I ).

Figures

Figure 42. Triforis aspera Jeffreys, 1885. A-E, G, H, M, S Syntype NHMUK 1885.11.5.2673, Porcupine expedition, unknown locality: front (A), side (B), back (C), protoconch (D, E), aperture (G), peristome (H), microsculpture (M), original labels (S). F, Q: Syntype NHMUK 1885.11.5.3936, Porcupine Expedition, " Coast of Spain ". I, J, R Syntypes NHMUK 1885.11.5.3937 - 8, Porcupine Expedition, " Atlantic " (I is not T. aspera). K-L, P Syntypes NHMUK 1885.11.5.3934 - 5, Adventure Bank, Sicily Channel. N, O Syntype NHMUK 1885.11.5.2674, Porcupine expedition station 16. Scale bars: A-C, F: 2 mm; D, E: 0.2 mm; G-J: 1 mm; M: 0.5 mm.