Claremontiella pauli ( Hilber, 1882 )

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 : 53-56

Claremontiella pauli ( Hilber, 1882)

Figs 26 , 32A–E

Purpura elata Blainv. —Hörnes 1853: 168, pl. 14, fig. 1 [non Purpura elata de Blainville, 1832 = Drupella cornus ( Röding,

1798)]. M [urex] Pauli n. sp. — Hilber 1881: 184 [nomen nudum]. * Murex Pauli Hilber , nova forma — Hilber 1882: 5, pl. 1, fig. 6. Purpura (Sistrum) austriaca nov. form.—Hoernes & Auinger 1882: 153, pl. 16, figs. 14–17. Pollia Pauli Hilb. — Hoernes & Auinger 1890: 236: pl. 29, fig. 10. Pollia exacuta Bell. — Hoernes & Auinger 1890: 236, pl. 30, figs. 4a–c [non Pollia exacuta Bellardi, 1873 = Orania fusulus

( Brocchi, 1814)]. Orania exacuta obtusocostata Sacco —Csepreghy-Meznerics 1956: 401, pl. 5, figs. 11–14. C [oralliophila]. (O [rania].) exacuta obtusocostata (Sacco)— Sieber 1958: 147. Purpura (Sistrum) austriaca H. et Au.—Strausz 1954: 26, pl. 4, fig. 94. D [rupa]. (D [rupa].) austriaca (R. Hörn, et Au.)— Sieber 1958: 146. Thais (Stramonita) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1884 — Strausz 1966: 283, pl. 35, figs. 4–5, 10–12. Orania cf. exacuta Bellardi, 1872 — Strausz 1966: 309, pl. 35, figs. 8–9.

Morula (Habromorula) austriaca (Hoernes & Auinger, 1882) — Kovács et al. 2018: 128, figs. 8Y, Z.

Morula (Habromorula) austriaca (Hoernes & Auinger, 1882) — Kovács 2019: 135, figs. 69–70.

Morula (Habromorula) austriaca (Hoernes & Auinger, 1882) — Kovács 2020: 464, pl. 4, figs. 17–18.

Habromorula austriaca (Hoernes et Auinger) — Kovács & Vicián 2024: 24, fig. 65.

non Thais (Stramonita) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger — Krach 1981: 69, pl. 22, fig. 10 [= Janssenia spinosa (Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov, 1960)].

non Morula austriaca (Hoernes & Auinger, 1882) — Lozouet 2023: 28, pl. 24, figs. 6–8.

Type material. Holotype: SL: 16 mm, MD: 8 mm, Grundna Dolna at Dembica ( Ukraine); the holotype was stored in the Geological Survey of Austria (Vienna) but was destroyed during WWII . Lectotype (designated herein) of Purpura (Sistrum) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1882 : NHMW 1859/0045/0125, SL: 21.3 mm, MD: 10.9 mm, Niederleis ( Austria), illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1882: pl. 16, fig. 16), figs. 32B 1 –B 3 . Paralectotypes: NHMW 1866/001/0162, SL: 19.0 mm, MD: 11.6 mm, Niederleis ( Austria) , figs. 32A 1 –A 3. NHMW 1855/0043/0024, SL: 21.8 mm, MD: 11.9 mm, Lăpugiu des Sus ( Romania) , figs. 32C 1 –C 3. NHMW 1865/0001/0177, SL: 22.1 mm, MD: 12.7 mm, Lăpugiu des Sus ( Romania) , figs. 32D 1 –D 3. NHMW 1850/0002/0038, SL: 24.3 mm, MD: 14.1 mm, Grund ( Austria) , figs. 32E 1 –E 3. NHMW 1851/0013/0027, SL: 16.7 mm, MD: 9.1 mm, Bad Vöslau ( Austria) , illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1882: pl. 16, fig. 15). 7 spec., NHMW 1863/0015/0654, Niederleis ( Austria) .

Additional material. 16 spec., 1866/0040/0267, Lăpugiu des Sus ( Romania) ; 3 spec., NHMW 1855/0045/0066, Steinebrunn ( Austria) .

Revised description. Medium-sized, slender fusiform shell with high spire; apical angle ~50–57°. Protoconch high conical of about 2.5 moderately convex whorls. Teleoconch of up to five whorls. Suture distinctly incised, shallowly undulating. Early teleoconch whorls with broad, steep, weakly concave subsutural ramp, sharply angled shoulder, slightly constricted below. Axial sculpture of nine weak axial ribs, fading over subsutural ramp, most prominent below shoulder. Spiral sculpture of broad indistinct subsutural cord, moderately prominent SP, adis, IP, abis with subequal secondary cords. P1 very prominent with short, trigonal tubercles on axial ribs. Last whorl attaining ~66–70% of total height; with broad subsutural collar, steep, concave subsutural ramp (with SP, adis, IP, abis weak), angled shoulder, weakly convex periphery, slowly contracting below. P1 forming prominent tubercles; P2–P4 very prominent, nodulose on axial ribs; s1–s4 weak, adjoined by subequal tertiary thread on either side. P5 (siphonal canal) weak, close-set. Fasciole strongly swollen, twisted, delimiting broad, shallow pseudoumbilicus. Aperture sub-rectangular, relatively narrow. Outer lip with blunt ID and prominent D1–D4 (D2 bifid) placed short distance behind peristome. Anal canal deeply incised, narrowly U-shaped. Siphonal canal moderately short, open, wide, slightly bent to the left. Columella straight, smooth, weakly twisted at siphonal canal. Columellar callus forming broad rim, sharply delimited from base, slightly erect at pseudoumbilicus, adherent in parietal area.

Paratethyan synonyms. Purpura (Sistrum) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1882 is a subjective junior synonym.

Discussion. Claremontiella augustae ( Boettger, 1902) is similar to Claremontiella pauli but differs in its much smaller size, higher spire, weaker tubercles and weaker secondary cords.A specimen from the Aquitanian of Meilhan ( France), illustrated by Lozouet (2023: pl. 24, figs. 6–8) as ‘ Morula austriaca ’, differs from the Paratethyan species in its narrower primary and stronger secondary cords (s1, s2, s3) and the large and simple denticles (D1 to D4) in the outer lip.

Claremontiella pauli differs from the extant type species Claremontiella nodulosa in its weaker denticles and more prominent secondary cords. Claremontiella adiakritos Houart, Zuccon & Puillandre, 2019 , from Mexico, differs in its higher spire and weaker denticles in the outer lip (D1 to D4 simple). Claremontiella consanguinea ( Smith, 1890) , from the eastern Atlantic, differs in its weaker tubercles [see the lectotype NHMUK 1889.10.1.2368 figured by Houart et al. 2019 (fig. 27 M–N); Houart & Swinnen 2023].

We were not able to find out in which month the paper by Hilber (1882) was published, but it seems that it appeared earlier than Hoernes & Auinger (1882). Therefore, Murex pauli Hilber, 1882 would have priority over Purpura (Sistrum) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1882 . However, this point will need clarification.

Paleoenvironment. Shallow marine, inner neritic.

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Polish-Ukrainian Fore-Carpathian Basin: Grundna Dolna at Dembica ( Ukraine) ( Hilber 1882). Korytnica Basin: Korytnica ( Bałuk 1995); North Alpine-Carpathian Foreland Basin: Grund ( Austria) (Hoernes & Auinger 1882); Vienna Basin: Bad Vöslau, Niederleis ( Austria) (Hoernes & Auinger 1882); Styrian Basin: Pöls ( Austria) ( Hoernes & Auinger 1890); Pannonian Basin: Letkés, Szob. Várpalota ( Hungary), Cserhát Hills: Márkháza ( Hungary) ( Strausz 1966; Kovács et al. 2018; Kovács & Vicián 2024); Bakony Mountains: Bánd ( Hungary) ( Kovács 2020); Făget Basin: CoŞteiu de Sus, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Kovács 2019).

A comment on the occurrence of Morula in the Paratethys

Several Paratethyan species have been placed by various authors in Morula Schumacher, 1817 [type species Morula papillosa Schumacher, 1817 [= Morula uva ( Röding, 1798) ]; present-day, Indo-West Pacific [e.g., Pollia augustae Boettger, 1902 in Harzhauser & Landau (2024), Purpura austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1882 and Pollia bellardii Hoernes & Auinger, 1890 in Kovács (2019) and Morula valdemari Bałuk, 2006 in Bałuk (2006)]. None of the records represent true Morula . Whilst Pollia augustae , Purpura austriaca [= Murex pauli Hilber, 1882 ] and Pollia bellardii are placed herein in the Ergalataxinae genus Claremontiella , ‘ Morula ” valdemari was transferred by Harzhauser et al. (2025) to Ocenebrinae . Another erroneous record of Morula from the Neogene of the Circum-Mediterranean Region is a specimen described by Brunetti (2018) from the Upper Pleistocene of Italy as Morula nodulosa ( Adams, 1845) [= Claremontiella nodulosa (C. B. Adams, 1845) ]. This specimen is not an Ergalataxinae but represents the Costellariidae Fedosovia multigranosa ( Vera-Peláez, 2002) (note that Brunetti 2018: 316, described three columellar folds, which are not clearly visible in the illustration).

Genus Muricodrupa Iredale, 1918

Type species. Purpura fenestrata de Blainville, 1832 ; original designation by Iredale (1918: 38). Present-day, Indo-West Pacific.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Cord diagrams and apertural features of Ergalataxinae.

FIGURE 32. Claremontiella pauli (Hilber, 1882). A1–A3. NHMW 1866/001/0162, Niederleis (Austria). B1–B3. lectotype of Purpura (Sistrum) austriaca Hoernes & Auinger, 1882, NHMW 1859/0045/0125, Niederleis (Austria). C1–C3. NHMW 1855/0043/0024, Lăpugiu des Sus (Romania). D1–D3. NHMW 1865/0001/0177, Lăpugiu des Sus (Romania). E1–E3. NHMW 1850/0002/0038, Grund (Austria).