Conus (Klemaeconus) whiteheadae da Motta, 1985

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 : 79-81

Conus (Klemaeconus) whiteheadae da Motta, 1985

Figs 2 , 59–60

Conus whiteheadae da Motta, 1985: 26 , fig. 3a–b.

Conus sugimotonis – R̂ckel et al. 1995b: pl. 25 fig. 22.

Kioconus sugimotonis f. whiteheadae – Tucker & Tenorio 2013: 421.

Continuconus sugimotonis f. whiteheadae – Monnier et al. 2018a: 331, figs 1, 3–4.

Material examined

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

Type material

Holotype AUSTRALIA • 96.5 mm; Vicinity of Lord Howe and Lady Musgrave Islands; MHNG MOLL-138918 ( Fig. 59A ).

Figured material

NEW CALEDONIA • 44 mm; N Bellona, off New Caledonia, stn CP2571; 20º25′ S, 158º45′ E; 298‒309 m depth; 14 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 59B–C, M ) • 57.7 mm; Bellona Plateau, off New Caledonia, stn DW5017; 21°09′ S, 159°11′ E; 300 m depth; 20 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHN-IM-2013-48182 ( Fig. 59D ) • 53.6 mm; Nova Bank, off New Caledonia, stn DW5001; 22°30′ S, 159°24′ E; 320‒330 m depth; 18 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHN-IM-2013-48183 ( Fig. 59E ) • 54.3 mm; Plateau des Chesterfield , off New Caledonia, stn DW4974; 19°47′ S, 158°36′ E; 460‒490 m depth; 9 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHN-IM-2013-48185 ( Fig. 59F ) • 68.8 mm; Coral Sea, Banc Capel, off New Caledonia, stn DW274; 24º45′ S, 159º41′ E; 285 m depth; 9 Oct. 1986; MUSORSTOM 5 expedition; MNHN ( Fig. 59G–H ) • 54.6 mm; S Lansdowne Bank, off New Caledonia, stn CP4984; 20°47′ S, 160°57′ E; 410‒430 m depth; 10 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHNIM- 2013-48190 ( Fig. 59I ) • 51.6 mm; Nova Bank, off New Caledonia, stn CP5003; 22°30′ S, 159°27′ E; 330‒335 m depth; 18 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHN-IM-2013-48188 ( Fig. 59L )

AUSTRALIA • 80.1 mm; off Lady Elliot Island , Queensland; MJT ( Fig. 59J–K ) .

Geographical distribution and bathymetry

Australia (Queensland) and Coral Sea, at depths between 200 and 500 m.

Remarks

Shell moderately large to large (maximum shell length 103 mm), conical, with a low spire of concave profile. Early whorls project from an essentially flat spire, occasionally slightly domed. Last whorl with a characteristic very pale violet uniform color, especially in fresh specimens. Radular tooth ( Fig. 59M ) elongated, with the anterior section longer than the posterior section. The tooth is serrated with 40– 42 denticles arranged in one single row, splitting into two rows in the basal area towards the small terminating cusp. Barb well marked. Blade rounded, covering about one third of the anterior section of the tooth. Basal spur pointing upwards on top of the rounded base. Although initially introduced as a full species by da Motta (1985), it has usually been considered a subspecies or form of Conus (Klemaeconus) sugimotonis Kuroda, 1929 . In our phylogeny ( Fig. 2 ) the specimens of C. (K.) whiteheadae examined form a clade sister to C. (K.) plinthis . The specimens of C. (K.) sugimotonis from China are distinct by DNA, and belong to a clade which is sister to the one that includes C. (K.) plinthis and C. (K.) whiteheadae . Hence, our DNA data support C. (K.) whiteheadae as a full species rather than a form of C. (K.) sugimotonis , with a distribution area most likely restricted to the Coral Sea and its surroundings.

Figures

Fig. 2. Cox1-based Bayesian phylogeny. Posterior probabilities (> 0.95) and bootstrap values (> 90) from the ML analysis are provided for each node. Intraspecific relationships are collapsed. Subgenus names are indicated on the right.

Fig. 59. Conus (Klemaeconus) whiteheadae da Motta, 1985. A. Holotype, Australia, Vicinity of Lord Howe and Lady Musgrave Islands, 96.5 mm (MHNG MOLL. 984.594). B. N Bellona, Coral Sea, off New Caledonia, 298‒309 m depth, 44 mm. C. Dorsal view of specimen B. D. Bellona Plateau, Coral Sea, 300 m depth, 57.7 mm (MNHN-IM-2013-48182). E. Banc Nova, Coral Sea, 320‒330 m depth, 53.6 mm (MNHN-IM-2013-48183). F. Plateau des Chesterfield, Coral Sea, 460‒490 m depth, 54.3 mm (MNHN- IM-2013-48185). G. Capel Bank, Coral Sea, 285 m depth, 68.8 mm. H. Dorsal view of specimen G. I. S Lansdowne Bank, Coral Sea, 410‒430 m depth, 54.6 mm (MNHN-IM-2013-48190). J. Off Lady Elliot Island, Queensland, Australia, 80.1 mm (MJT coll.). K. Dorsal view of specimen J. L. Banc Nova, Coral Sea, 330‒335 m depth, 51.6 mm (MNHN-IM-2013-48188). M. Radular tooth of specimen B. Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise stated.

Fig. 60. Bathymetric range and distribution map for Conus (Klemaeconus) whiteheadae da Motta, 1985. Red circles indicate the points where the species was collected.