Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle, 1863

Harzhauser, Mathias, Landau, Bernard M. & Merle, Didier, 2025, The Muricidae (Gastropoda, Muricoidea) of the Miocene Paratethys Sea (Aspellinae, Ergalataxinae, Coralliophilinae, Rapaninae), Zootaxa 5611 (1), pp. 1-106 : 83

Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle, 1863

Figs 46 , 47C 1 –C 2

* Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle — Rolle 1863: 243, fig. 15.

Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle — Boettger 1906: 36.

Magilus jaegeri Boettger — Zilch 1934: 252, pl. 15, figs. 85–86.

Leptoconchus jaegeri Boettger, 1906 — Kovács et al. 2018: 130, figs. 9P–V.

Leptoconchus jaegeri Boettger, 1906 — Kovács 2020: 459, pl. 4, figs. 30–31.

Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle, 1863 — Kovács & Vicián 2024: 18, figs. 40–42.

Type material. The type material of Rolle (1863) is lost. Erroneously, Zilch (1934: 253) designated the specimen described by Boettger (1906) as lectotype [ SFM 366522 (= 12-2564b, SL: 9.8 mm, MD: 5.2 mm, CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania)] and illustrated this specimen in Zilch (1934: pl. 15, fig. 86), figs. 47C 1 –C 2.

Revised description. Small, olivoid shell with high, conical spire; apical angle 60–80°. Protoconch unknown. Teleoconch of up to five whorls. Suture indistinct. Spire whorls weakly convex, with close-set, strongly scabrose growth lines obscuring spiral sculpture. Last whorl attaining 78–85% of total height, with weakly convex subsutural ramp, moderately convex periphery, slowly contracting below. Axial sculpture subobsolete. Spiral sculpture (partly based on specimen illustrated in Kovács 2020: pl. 4, figs. 30–31) of broad subsutural cord and close-set, subequal adis, IP, abis and two secondary cords. P1 flat, slightly more prominent along periphery. Primary cords broad, convex; P3, P4, P5, P6 most prominent, often forming group of three more prominent, weakly scabrose cords; P2 and ADP weaker. s3 and s5 present. Fasciole weak. Aperture ovate; outer lip thin, smooth. Anal canal subosolete, wide. Siphonal canal short, straight, open, wide, deeply notched (description based also on specimens illustrated by Kovács et al. (2018). Columella straight, smooth. Columellar callus forming thin, narrow, adherent rim.

Discussion. Leptoconchus is an endoparasitic genus living in boreholes in corals ( Gittenberger & Gittenberger 2011). Kovács & Vicián (2024) documented Leptoconchus jaegeri Boettger, 1906 in its bore-hole in the merulinid coral Echinopora oligophylla ( Reuss, 1871) . Leptoconchus jaegeri was established in Leptoconchus Rüppell, 1835 by Boettger (1906) but transferred to Magilus de Montfort, 1810 by Zilch (1934). Lozouet & Renard (1998) confirmed the placement in Leptoconchus , which is followed herein, because it has nothing in common with the naticoid shape of the early teleoconch whorls of Magilus . The variability of this rare species was documented by Kovács et al. (2018), who illustrated four specimens from Letkés ( Hungary). These specimens show some variability in spire height and in the position of the periphery. Leptoconchus costatus ( Chenu, 1843) , from the Oligocene and Early Miocene of France, is morphologically close to Leptoconchus jaegeri but differs in its more prominent spiral cords on the last whorl, more prominent scabrose growth lines and the slightly slenderer shape (see Lozouet & Renard 1998: fig. 4/7–15; Lozouet 2023: pl. 47, figs. 1–6). Leptoconchus duvergieri ( Cossmann & Peyrot, 1923) , from the Early Miocene of France, differs in its inflated last whorl (see Lozouet & Renard 1998: fig. 5).

Paleoenvironment. Occurrences at Letkés, Márkháza and Bánd ( Hungary) indicate inner neritic environments with corals ( Kovács & Vicián 2014; Kovács 2020).

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Pannonian Basin: Letkés, Márkháza ( Hungary) ( Kovács et al. 2018); Bakony Mountains: Bánd ( Hungary) ( Kovács 2020); Făget Basin: CoŞteiu de Sus, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Boettger 1906).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cord diagrams and apertural features of Aspellinae (Aspella, Attiliosa, Dermomurex).

FIGURE 2. A–B. Aspella emmae (Boettger, 1902). A1–A2. lectotype, SFM 366519, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania). B1–B3. NHMW 1871/0001/0182, Steinebrunn (Austria). C–E. Aspella teter sp. nov. C1–C3. paratype, NHMW 1846/0037/0235, Steinebrunn (Austria). D1–D3. holotype, NHMW 1865/0001/0560a, Steinebrunn (Austria). E1–E3. paratype, NHMW 1865/0001/0560b, Steinebrunn (Austria).

FIGURE 46. Cord diagrams of Coralliophilinae.

FIGURE 47. A1–A2. Babelomurex sp., private collection Zoltán Kovács, Bánd (Hungary). B1–B2. Galeropsis badenica Kovács & Vicián, 2024, holotype: HNHM PAL 2024.9.1., Letkés (Hungary). C1–C2. Leptoconchus jaegeri Rolle, 1863, SFM 366522, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania). D1–D2. Leptoconchus rollei Boettger, 1906, lectotype, SFM 366523, CoŞteiu de Sus (Romania).