Pueridaphne cirrisulcata, Criscione & Hallan & Puillandre & Fedosov, 2021

Criscione, Francesco, Hallan, Anders, Puillandre, Nicolas & Fedosov, Alexander, 2021, Where the snails have no name: a molecular phylogeny of Raphitomidae (Neogastropoda: Conoidea) uncovers vast unexplored diversity in the deep seas of temperate southern and eastern Australia, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 191, pp. 961-1000 : 988-989

PUERIDAPHNE CIRRISULCATA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 4B, 5D, 6C)

Z o o B a n k r e g i s t r a t i o n: u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: 0F0DD864-FF79-4C78-8A06-F99431B19039.

Holotype: Australia, GAB, 3350 m, IN2017_C01_197, (–34.452, 129.492), AMS C.572165.

Paratypes: Australia, New South Wales, Hunter CMR, 4031 m, IN2017_ V03 _ 079, (–32.131, 152.527), one wet ( AMS C.563160); Jervis CMR, 2667 m, IN2017_ V03 _ 055, (–35.335, 151.259), one wet ( AMS C.563103); VIC, East Gippsland CMR, 3850 m, IN2017_ V03 _ 032, (–38.479, 150.185), one wet ( AMS C.571609); GAB, 3350 m, IN2017_C01_197, (–34.452, 129.492), one wet ( AMS C.571631); 3540 m, IN2017_C01_198, (–34.574, 129.572), one wet ( SAMA D49340a) .

D i s t r i b u t i o n: K n o w n t o o c c u r f r o m t h e G r e a t Australian Bight, via East Gippsland, Victoria, northward along the southeast Australian coast to the Hunter Commonwealth Marine Reserve, New South Wales.

Etymology: The epithet is composed of the Latin cirrus, fringe or tentacle and the adjective sulcatus, furrowed or grooved, referring to the groove along the cephalic tentacles.

Description

Shell ( Fig. 4B) (SL = 15, SW = 7.4) fusiform, thin-walled, opaque. Protoconch (based on paratype AMS C.563103) orange, broadly conical, multispiral, with 4.5 whorls, first whorl with punctate sculpture, subsequent whorls diagonally cancellate ( Fig. 5D). Protoconch–teleoconch transition clearly defined, broadly sinuate. Teleoconch of 4.6 uniformly whitish whorls, suture impressed. Whorls broad, with wide subsutural ramp, steep in early teleoconch whorls and progressively more concave in later whorls; well-pronounced shoulder situated at approximately mid-height of whorl. Subsutural ramp sculpture of raised, dense growth lines. Lower whorl portion with axial sculpture of numerous (> 100 on last whorl), dense, raised growth lines, intersecting rounded, evenly spaced (> 20 on last whorl) spiral cords to form distinctly diagonally cancellate pattern; sculpture weaker on last whorl. Last adult whorl evenly convex below subsutural ramp; siphonal canal slender, moderately long, slightly curved. Aperture elongate, approximately half of shell length; outer lip thin, unsculptured. Inner lip whitish, gently recurved toward left with spiral sculpture extending uninterrupted from base, with thin callus. Anal sinus wide, deep, U-shaped.

Anatomy based on SAMA D49340a; AMS C.572165; AMS C.571609. Animal reddish brown, with epidermis of fine textile-like appearance; head short, blunt. Penis large, long, coiled clockwise, subcylindrical, tip blunt (Supporting Information, Fig. S4A). Cephalic tentacles long, cylindrical, bearing densely set latitudinal folds; distinct longitudinal groove present along their full length (Supporting Information, Fig. S4A). Eyes small, situated at outer lower base of cephalic tentacles. Prostate (Supporting Information, Fig. S4A) gland large, yellowish, clearly visible beneath thin epidermis; anterior vas deferens undulating.

Introvert large, thick-walled, cup-shaped with expanding rim, whitish; rhynchostomal sphincter bluish grey, encircling introvert periphery, surrounded on both sides by dense white epithelial cells. Proboscis reddish brown, extremely large, long, pointed, coiled clockwise in rhyncocoel, outer walls bearing dense, strong latitudinal folds (Supporting Information, Fig. S4B); radular sac large; venom gland long and convoluted, colourless, situated posterior right of proboscis; muscular bulb ovate, lustrous pink, with microfibrous surface (Supporting Information, Fig. S4B).

Radula ( Fig. 6C) (based on SAMA D49340a; AMS C.572165; AMS C.571609) of hypodermic teeth, straight, tightly rolled, attaining 150 µm in length, broad; slight constriction at approximately lower-third mark of shaft; no ventral barb; dorsal blade sharp, extending about one-third of shaft length; adapical opening elongate-ovate, approximately one-fifth to one-sixth shaft length, seen as marked indentation in lateral profile; base broad, angular, with distinct lateral process; basal texture extremely coarse, with dense network of weakly triangular to subcircular tubercles, larger on base proper than (immediate) basal portion of shaft; basal opening broad. Ligament broad.

Remarks

This new taxon can readily be distinguished from other raphitomids by the following combination of characters: a densely cancellate teleoconch; dark red pigmentation of the external animal; long, strongly folded cephalic tentacles with a longitudinal groove or furrow extending across their full length; an extremely long, strongly folded proboscis; radular teeth with a long blade, a slight constriction of the shaft at its abapical third, and an extremely coarse texture on the base exterior.