Parviscala paratethyca, Harzhauser & Landau, 2025

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard M., 2025, The Epitoniidae (Gastropoda, Epitonioidea) of the Miocene Central Paratethys Sea-an overwhelming diversity, Zootaxa 5630 (1), pp. 1-142 : 110-111

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5630.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:89462472-D932-4255-880F-C6EF15220A31
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D787A4-FF88-FF8A-FF3F-FA73FB549073
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Parviscala paratethyca
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Parviscala paratethyca sp. nov.

Figs 39A View FIGURE 39 , 40D View FIGURE 40

Type material. Holotype, NHMW 1865 View Materials /0001/0583, SL: 12.0 mm, MD: 4.0 mm, Steinebrunn ( Austria), Figs 39A View FIGURE 39 1 – A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 , 40D View FIGURE 40 .

Type locality. Steinebrunn ( Romania), Vienna Basin .

Type stratum. Baden Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. Referring to the occurrence in the Paratethys Sea.

Diagnosis. Medium,-sized, moderately slender, turriculate, coronate with convex whorls, strongly raised, weakly prosocline, rolled over lamellae forming short spines close to adapical suture, delicate spiral sculpture in interspaces.

Description. Shell medium-sized, moderately slender, turriculate (apical angle ~22°), coronate. Protoconch unknown. Teleoconch of at least eight convex whorls, periphery placed just below mid-whorl. Suture deeply impressed. Sculpture of moderately close-set, robust, strongly raised, weakly prosocline lamellae, only partly obliquely aligned axially (11: 12: 12), adapical tips forming small, trigonal spines close to adapical suture. Crests of lamellae rolled over. Interspaces between lamellae with low spiral cords. Last whorl attaining about 38% of total height, lamellae persisting on base, strongly rolled over, flattish, no peribasal cord or basal angulation, base slightly convex. Aperture ovate, columella concave. Outer lip not preserved. Columellar callus forming broad rim, detached from base, parietal callus delicate. No umbilicus.

Discussion. Parviscala paratethyca sp. nov. differs from Parviscala lacinia sp. nov., with which it co-occurs at Steinebrunn ( Austria), in its much larger size and greater number of teleoconch whorls that are more regularly convex and lack a subsutural shelf, and the much weaker spines. The Pliocene Mediterranean Parviscala vidali (de Boury, 1911) might be a closely related species, which differs only in its slightly wider apical angle and more convex whorls ( Chirli 2009: pl. 15, figs 12–17, pl. 16, figs 1–4). Among the recent species of Parviscala , the Mediterranean Parviscala vittata ( Jeffreys, 1884) , is most similar to Parviscala paratethyca sp. nov. It attains the same size but differs in the greater number of whorls, the more strongly convex early teleoconch whorls that bear numerous, close-set lamellae (see Weil et al. 1999: fig. 108; Raven et al. 2022: fig. G). All other extant species placed in Parviscala by Kilburn (1985) and Weil et al. (1999) differ significantly in their larger size, wider apical angle and/or gradate spire.

Paleoenvironment. The common occurrence at Steinebrunn ( Austria) suggests shallow marine environments with sea grass (own data M.H.).

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Vienna Basin: Steinebrunn ( Austria) (hoc opus).

Genus Punctiscala de Boury, 1890

Type species. Scalaria plicosa R. A. Philippi, 1844 View in CoL ; original designation. Pliocene , Italy .

Diagnosis. “ Solid shell. Small size ; form and protoconch of Pliciscala ; ornamentation composed of axial ribs, more or less thick , and spiral cords, a little depressed, in the intervals of which there are - in addition - fine rows of punctuations. Last whorl roughly equal to a quarter of the total height, angular at the periphery of the imperforate base, which is covered by a flattened disk, bordered by a peripheral carina and obtusely furrowed; this disk is often rudimentary, and bears no bead in the center. Circular aperture with split peristome, inner layer thin, outer layer reflective and varicose, oblique labrum.” (translated from Cossmann 1912: 83).

Discussion. Punctiscala de Boury, 1890 is characterized by shells with prominent axial ribs and a broad, well-defined basal disc over which the axial ribs do not extend and a thickened outer lip ( Landau et al. 2006: 54). In contrast to Gregorioiscala , its axial ribs are not aligned along the shell, and it rarely forms a varix ( Bouchet & Warén 1986, Weil et al. 1999; e.g. Gregorioiscala sarsi (Kobelt, 1904) may form an occasional varix; pers. comm. Leon Hoffmann, 20. 03. 2025). This genus has not been documented from the Paratethys Sea so far. Both genera have pitted spiral microsculpture. Scalaria disjuncta Bronn, 1831 from the Upper Miocene and Pliocene of the Proto- /Mediterranean was placed in the genus Punctiscala by Sacco (1891), a position followed by subsequent authors (e.g., Landau et al., 2006; Brunetti & Cresti, 2018), but that species is much larger than most Punctiscala species and lacks punctate microsculpture, and should probably be placed in Clathroscala de Boury, 1890 .