Conasprella (Endemoconus) howelli ( Iredale, 1929 )

Tenorio, Manuel J. & Puillandre, Nicolas, 2023, Revision of the deep-water cone snail fauna from New Caledonia (Gastropoda, Conoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 896, pp. 1-134 : 53

Conasprella (Endemoconus) howelli ( Iredale, 1929)

Figs 38A–H, L–M , 39

Conus howelli Iredale, 1929: 182 , pl. 40 figs 1, 8.

Conus howelli – R̂ckel et al. 1995b: no. 277, pl. 58 figs 25–28.

Endemoconus howelli – Tucker & Tenorio 2013: 223.

Conasprella howelli – Monnier et al. 2018a: 212.

Material examined

13 lots (15 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Type material

Holotype AUSTRALIA • 26.5 mm; Montague Island , New South Wales; AMS C.57711 ( Fig. 38A ).

Other material

NEW CALEDONIA • 21.5 mm; off S New Caledonia, Banc Kaimon Maru, stn DW8; 24°45′ S, 168°08′ E; 233 m depth; 21 May 1987; SMIB 3 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 38B ) • 13.7 mm; Norfolk Ridge, off New Caledonia, stn DW159; 24º46′ S, 168º08′ E; 241‒245 m depth; 28 Jan. 1993; SMIB 8 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 38C, L ) • 15.1 mm; same collection data as for preceding; MNHN ( Fig. 38D ) • 17.1 mm; Loyalty Ridge, off New Caledonia, stn DW85; 22º20′ S, 168º43′ E; 260 m depth; 13 Sep. 1989; SMIB 5 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 38E ) • 19.3 mm; Norfolk Ridge, east coast, off New Caledonia, stn DW170‒172; 21°43′ S, 166°36′ E; 315‒327 m depth; 29 Jan. 1993; SMIB 8 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 38F ) • 24.2 mm; Norfolk Ridge, off New Caledonia, stn DW159; 24º46′ S, 168º08′ E; 241‒245 m depth; 28 Jan. 1993; SMIB 8 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 38G ) • 16.3; SE Île des Pins , off New Caledonia, stn DW4741; 22°52′ S, 167°41′ E; 210 m depth; 23 Aug. 2016; KANACONO expedition; MNHNIM- 2018-12306 ( Fig. 38H ) • 12.7 mm; Norfolk Ridge, off New Caledonia, stn DW159; 24º46′ S, 168º08′ E; 241‒245 m; 28 Jan. 1993; SMIB 8 expedition ( Fig. 38M ).

Geographical distribution and bathymetry

Eastern Australia (New South Wales and Queensland) to N New Zealand (Lord Howe Island, Wanganella Bank) at depths between 50 to 295 m. In New Caledonia, specimens have been sampled in locations in Norfolk Ridge, Loyalty Ridge and Coral Sea (Kelso Bank), at depths between 100 and 400 m, but ocassionally beyond 500 m deep.

Remarks

Shell small to medium-sized (maximum shell length 49 mm), conical with a moderate to high, stepped spire. Multispiral protoconch of about 4 whorls ( Fig. 38L ). Teleoconch sutural ramp concave, with closely spaced radial threads. Radular tooth ( Fig. 38M ) typical of Conasprella , with a short barb and a pointed blade covering about one third of the anterior section, which is much shorter than the posterior section. Shaft fold present. Basal spur is present. Specimens from New Caledonia are similar to those from Australia and New Zealand. This species has not been examined using DNA.

Figures

Fig. 38. A–H. Conasprella (Endemoconus) howelli (Iredale, 1929). A. Holotype, Montague Island, New South Wales, Australia, 26.5 mm (AMS C.57711). B. Banc Kaimon Maru, S New Caledonia, 233 m depth, 21.5 mm. C. Norfolk Ridge, 241‒245 m depth, 13.7 mm. D. Same collection data as for specimen C, 15.1 mm. E. Loyalty Ridge, 260 m depth, 17.1 mm. F. Norfolk Ridge, 315‒327 m depth, 19.3 mm. G. Same collection data as for specimen C, 24.2 mm. H. SE Île des Pins, 210 m depth, 16.3 mm (MNHN-IM-2018-12306). – I–K. Conasprella (Endemoconus) raoulensis (Powell, 1958). I. Holotype, off Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand, 75‒85 m depth, 18 mm (ZMUC GAS- 000805). J. Coral Sea, Banc Capel, 280‒295 m depth, 15.1 mm. K. Norfolk Ridge, Banc Kaimon Maru, 230 m depth, 16.9 mm. – L–M. Conasprella (Endemoconus) howelli. L. Protoconch of specimen C from Norfolk Ridge, 241–245 m depth. M. Radular tooth of specimen from Norfolk Ridge, 241–245 m depth, 12.7 mm. Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise stated.

Fig. 39. Bathymetric range and distribution map for Conasprella (Endemoconus) howelli (Iredale, 1929). Red circles indicate the points where the species was collected.