Buccinum lanatum, Mclean & Clark, 2023

Mclean, James H. & Clark, Roger N., 2023, Seven new genera and thirty-four new species of buccinoid gastropods (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae) from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Zootaxa 5351 (2), pp. 151-201 : 198-199

Buccinum lanatum n. sp.

Figures: 22 F–G

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:220DC21A-C6D3-4EAA-A3F8-B9EE43935367

Type locality: SW of Herbert Island, Islands of Four Mountains, Aleutian Is. , Alaska. 238 m (52°38.8 N, 170°12.5 W) ( NMFS 176- 2016-1-29), R/ V Ocean Provider (leg. R. Lauth, 13 June, 2016) .

Type material: Holotype, SBMNH 169021

Description: Shell of moderate size, to 42 mm, thin, fragile, poorly calcified; profile broad, shoulder subtabulate; pical whorls missing; sculpture apparently lacking, shell surface obscured by periostracum. Periostracum yellowish-brown, very thick, lamellar, bearing short bristles; forming three broad, raised spiral ridges, with axil rows of 6–12 short bristles largest at the shoulder, two similar, smaller rows on the base. Operculum, small, about ¼ as large as the aperture, nucleus lateral.

Remarks: Buccinum lanatum is unusual among the “ Buccinum ” group with its very fragile, poorly calcified shell and thick, lamellar periostracum. B. lanatum is similar to B. tunicatum (Golikov & Gulbin, 1977) (fig 22 H), of the Kurile Islands, but differs in the number and nature of the spiral setal ridges. The two species are separated by about 3000 km. This is yet another of the many rare and unique buccinids from the central Aleutians. Another species, B. fringillum (Dall, 1877) (fig 22 I) is known from the Bering and Chukchi Sea’s, but differs in lacking the three pronounced spiral cords. These species make up the subgenus Thysanobuccinum Golikov & Gublin , in Golikov, 1980.

Etymology: The species name lanatum is from the Latin for wooly or velvety.

Distribution: Known so far only from the type locality, apparently another short-range endemic of the central Aleutians.

Habitat: Unknown.