Profunditerebra, Fedosov & Malcolm & Terryn & Gorson & Modica & Holford & Puillandre, 2019

Fedosov, Alexander E, Malcolm, Gavin, Terryn, Yves, Gorson, Juliette, Modica, Maria Vittoria, Holford, Mandë & Puillandre, Nicolas, 2019, Phylogenetic classification of the family Terebridae (Neogastropoda: Conoidea), Journal of Molluscan Studies The Malacological Society of London 85 (4), pp. 359-388 : 17-18

Genus Profunditerebra new genus

( Fig. 9 A–E)

Type species: Profunditerebra papuaprofundi n. sp.

Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A5A78A3D-AB11-41C3-86F0-7C1451512FF4

Definition: Includes all species included in clade E3 of Modica et al. (2019) and those that show a combination of conchological, anatomical and distribution characteristics closely comparable with Profunditerebra papuaprofundi n. sp. or any genetically proven member of the clade.

Diagnosis: Diagnostic nucleotide combinations provided in Table 8 .

Shell: Small to medium-sized (<45 mm), with multispiral protoconch and slender siphonal canal. Whorls subcylindrical or flattened. Sculpture varying greatly; axial sculpture of rounded ribs, weak to very strong and elevated; spiral sculpture typically limited to striae in interstices and a subsutural groove, but may be absent or represented by strong cords generating overall cancellate pattern.

Anatomy: Proboscis, radula, venom gland and salivary glands present. Radula of duplex marginal teeth ( Fig. 9E ). Accessory proboscis structure absent.

Distribution: Almost exclusively deep water (typically 150–600 m) of tropical Indo-West Pacific from Taiwan to New Caledonia; one species known from shallow water of South Australia.

Remarks: Profunditerebra is the only terebrine genus with duplex radular teeth similar to those in Pellifroniinae ; however, members of the two groups can easily be differentiated by shell characters. Species of Profunditerebra can be separated into four clusters based on their shell morphology; however, only the first cluster corresponds to a phylogenetic lineage.

Profunditerebra papuaprofundi n. sp. group. Shell uniformly coloured white to dark brown; heavily sculptured, with distinct subsutural groove and subcylindrical whorls. Sculpture of strong rounded ribs forming row of prominent nodules on subsutural band. Spiral sculpture of fine striae limited to interstices between axials, or overriding them to form fine continuous cords (including on subsutural band), or coarse cancellate pattern. Species of Neoterebra (e.g. N. armillata ) exhibit a similar sculpture, but can be differentiated from Profunditerebra by their flattened whorls. The Punctoterebra textilis group also includes some similar forms (see Remarks on Punctoterebra ).

Profunditerebra orientalis group. Shell with flattened whorl profile; variegated colour pattern. Sculpture of fine orthocline ribs intersected by cords of about equal strength or slightly weaker than axials, to form delicate cancellate pattern. Subsutural band demarcated by shallow punctuate groove. Species of this group can easily be differentiated from congeners that either lack spiral elements, or display an overall much coarser sculpture. Both P. orientalis and P. hiscocki closely resemble species of Maculauger , from which they can confidently be differentiated only by anatomy (all studied species of Maculauger lack a radula) or molecular characters.

Profunditerebra anseeuwi group. Shell with flattened whorl outline; subsutural band represented by short ribs or indentation. Sculpture of axial ribs, pronounced throughout whorl height, but weakening and becoming obsolete on later whorls; spiral sculpture absent. Species of this group are conchologically close to Duplicaria and to the Punctoterebra teramachii group; however, they can be differentiated from both by the overall weaker sculpture. In addition, these lineages can confidently be differentiated by the radular teeth morphology, Duplicaria having solid and recurved teeth, Profunditerebra duplex teeth and Punctoterebra flat teeth.

Profunditerebra brazieri stands apart from other species in the genus, being endemic to temperate shallow water off Tasmania. Morphologically, it is close to the P. anseeuwi group, but has a very weakly defined subsutural band.

Etymology: Name refers to the considerable depths at which almost all known species of the genus occur. Gender feminine.

Included species:

Profunditerebra anseeuwi (Terryn, 2005) 1 n. comb.;

P. brazieri (Angas, 1871) 1 n. comb.;

P. evelynae (Clench & Aguayo, 1939) 3 n. comb.;

P. macclesfieldensis n. sp. Malcolm, Terryn & Fedosov 1 n. sp.;

P. orientalis (Aubry, 1999) 1 n. comb.;

P. papuaprofundi n. sp. Malcolm, Terryn & Fedosov 1 n. sp.;

P. poppei (Terryn, 2003) 1 n. comb.;

P. hiscocki (Sprague, 2004) 1 n. comb.

Figures

Figure 9. Genera Profunditerebra n. gen. and Neoterebra n. gen. A. P. papuaprofundi n. sp., MNHN-IM-2013-58123, KAVIENG 2014 Stn CP4422, 02◦21'S, 150◦38'E, 496–609 m, 19.2 mm. B. P. orientalis, MNHN-IM-2009-29153, EXBODI Stn DW3930, 18◦37'S, 164◦26'E, 448–464 m, 39.6 mm. C. P. brazieri, MNHN-IM-2013-55861, MORRISON AUSTRALIA Stn TA22, 43◦10.4'S, 147◦51.3'E, 1–7 m, 32.4 mm. D. Terebra specillata lectotype, NHMUK 1844.6.7.84, San Blas, Mexico, 7 fms (= 12.8 m), 39.3 mm. E. P. poppei radula, MNHN-IM-2007-30546, SANTO 2006, Stn AT44, 15◦36'S, 167◦03'E, 86–118 m, broken. F. Terebra assu holotype, MNHN-IM-2000-25244, off Conceição da Barra, Espírito Santo, Brazil MD55, Stn DC75, 18◦59'S, 37◦50'W, 295 m, 9.8 mm. G. Terebra alagoensis holotype, MZSP 84238, continental slope off Alagoas, Brazil, 10◦05'57''S, 35◦46'24''W, 720 m, 9.8 mm. H. Neoterebra sterigmoides, MNHN-IM-2013-20352, KARUBENTHOS 2012 Stn GD02, 16◦22.57'N, 61◦34.12'W, 0–80 m, 29.6 mm.