Triphoris conspersus E.A. Smith, 1875 ex A. Adams ms

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

Triphoris conspersus E.A. Smith, 1875 ex A. Adams ms

Figure 84

Triphoris conspersus E.A. Smith 1875: 106, not illustrated.

Type locality.

"Cape Sima" (Shima Peninsula, Mie Prefecture), Japan.

Type material.

Syntypes: NHMUK 1873.8.6.135, Cape Sima, Japan: 1 specimen ; NHMUK 196545, Japan: 3 specimens (ex H. Cuming coll.) .

Additional material.

NHMUK 1878.1.28.435, Japan: 2 specimens (ex A. Adams coll.); Triphora sp. (not Triphoris conspersus ), NHMUK 1878.1.28.450, Japan (ex A. Adams coll.) .

Original description.

Testa parva, elongata, lateribus levissime convexis; anfractus circiter 16 granulorum seriebus tribus cincti (suprema albida, hic illic fusco-maculata, mediana quam caeteris longe tenuiore, albida, infima pallide violacea); sutura distincta, canaliculata; anfr. ultimus infra granula carinis tribus cinctus; apertura rotunde ovata; canalis brevis recurvus.

Long. 8½ mill., diam. 2.

Hab. Cape Sima, 18 fathoms, sand and broken shells.

This is a very pretty species, and appears to be undescribed hitherto, the above name being probably but a manuscript one attached to specimens in Cuming’s collection.

Translation of the Latin text.

Small shell, elongated, slightly convex; about 16 whorls encircled by three series of granules (the apical whitish and brownish spotted, the intermediate fainter than the others, whitish, the abapical light violet); distinct suture, canaliculated; last whorl with three carinae under the rows of granules; aperture round ovate; anterior siphon short, curved.

Height 8½, diameter 2 mm.

Diagnosis.

Syntypes ranging between 4.5 and 6.5 mm high. Shell conical, with flat whorls. Teleoconch up to 13 whorls bearing three spiral cords bearing tubercles at the intersection with prosocline axial ribs. The second cord develops on the seventh whorl and attains full size only on the last whorl. Suture impressed. Not a single specimen of the type series bears a complete peristome which can be described. Base with two additional smooth thin spiral cords. Siphonal canal long. Protoconch multispiral. The last three whorls present in a specimen of the type series bear a single strong spiral keel and axial riblets. Background teleoconch colour white with orange-brown blotches and the third spiral row which can tend to purple. Protoconch brown.

Remarks.

E.A. Smith stated that this name was "a manuscript one attached [by A. Adams] to specimens in the Cuming’s collection". Only lot NHMUK 196545 comes from the Cuming’s collection, as reported on a modern label; it bears only “Japan” as the locality. However, the lot NHMUK 1873.8.6.135 bears an old label with the same locality data as stated in the original description ("Cape Sima, 18 fms", Fig. 84H ) and another one with the name of J.G. Jeffreys on it. Two additional lots come from the H. Adams collection: 1878.1.28.435 and 1878.1.28.450. Their inventory numbers suggest they were deposited in the NHMUK after the species was described. Moreover, the latter at least (Fig. 84K ) does not seem to be T. conspersus because of its smaller tubercles, which are whitish on a brown teleoconch background colour instead of white with brown spots (" suprema albida, hic illic fusco-maculata "). Due to the uncertainty about what material E.A. Smith had examined at the time of preparing the species’ description, we refrain from selecting a lectotype.

Figures

Figure 84. Triphoris conspersus E. A. Smith, 1875. A-I Syntype NHMUK 1873.8.6.135, Cape Sima, Japan: front (A, B), side (C, D, the apex seems bent in C but it is a deformation due to SEM imaging), back (E), protoconch (F, G), original labels (H), microsculpture (I). J, L, M Syntypes NHMUK 196545, Japan (coll. H. Cuming): original labels (J), front views (L, M). K Triphora sp. (not Triphoris conspersus), NHMUK 1878.1.28.450, Japan (H. Adams coll.): front. N-P T. conspersus, NHMUK 1878.1.28.435, Japan (H. Adams coll.): front views (N-O), original labels (P). Scale bars: A-E, K-M: 1 mm; F, G: 0.2 mm; I: 0.5 mm.