Punctiscala brandenburgi ( Boettger, 1906 )

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 : 111-113

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-FF8B-FF94-FF3F-F9ECFE739411
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Punctiscala brandenburgi ( Boettger, 1906 )
status

Treatment

Punctiscala brandenburgi ( Boettger, 1906) View in CoL

Figs 35G–H View FIGURE 35 , 42A–D View FIGURE 42

* Scala (Acrilla) brandenburgi View in CoL n. sp. — Boettger 1906: 94.

Punctiscala View in CoL ? Brandenburgi (Boettger) View in CoL — Cossmann 1912: 190, pl. 6, fig. 1.

Opalia View in CoL ( Punctiscala View in CoL ?) brandenburgi (Boettger) View in CoL — Zilch 1934: 228, pl. 10, fig. 68.

Scala (Acrilla) disjuncta Bronn— Bogsch 1936: 71 View in CoL , pl. 2, figs 23–24 [non Clathroscala disjuncta ( Bronn, 1831) ].

Pliciscala (Punctiscala) brandenburgi Boettger— Korobkov 1955 : pl. 16, fig. 24.

? Opalia (Turriscala) torulosa convexiuscula Sacco — Csepreghy-Meznerics 1969a: 22, pl. 4, fig. 6 [non Turriscala torulosa ( Brocchi, 1814) View in CoL ].

? Opalia (Turriscala) torulosa convexiuscula Sacco — Csepreghy-Meznerics 1969b: 73, pl. 1, fig. 25 [non Turriscala torulosa ( Brocchi, 1814) View in CoL ].

Opalia (Pliciscala) brandenburgi ( Boettger, 1906) — Bałuk 1975: 178, pl. 21, fig. 12 [not fig. 11 = Amaea sp. ].

Type material. Holotype, SMF 380180 About SMF _12-1452a ( XII 1452 a), SL: 7.9 mm, MD: 3.0 mm, CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania), specimen illustrated in Zilch (1934: pl. 10, fig. 68), Fig. 42A View FIGURE 42 .

Illustrated material. NHMW 2013/0300/0141, SL: 13.0 mm, MD: 4.7 mm, Baden-Sooss ( Austria), Figs 35H View FIGURE 35 , 42D View FIGURE 42 . NHMW 2013/0078/0157a, SL: 12.4 mm, MD: 4.2 mm, Baden ( Austria), Figs 35G View FIGURE 35 , 42B View FIGURE 42 1 –B View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2013/0078/0157b, SL: 14.8 mm, MD: 3.9 mm, Baden ( Austria), Figs 42C View FIGURE 42 1 –C View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Revised description. Shell medium-sized, moderately slender, turreted (apical angle ~16–20°). Protoconch turreted of about five, moderately convex whorls (diameter 390 μm). Late whorls high, weakly convex, with numerous delicate axial riblets. Teleoconch of about ten convex whorls. Whorl profile with moderately steep, weakly concave subsutural ramp and convex periphery placed mid-whorl. Suture moderately impressed, linear. Sculpture of prominent, convex, moderately close-set, weakly prosocline axial ribs not aligned axially (~20: 18/20: 16/20), weakening slightly over subsutural ramp. Occasionally with one or two weak, more strongly prosocline varices per whorl. Spiral sculpture of about seven primary spiral cords and several weaker secondary cords separated by slightly narrower, weakly punctate interspaces. Typically one or rarely two rows between spiral cords. Punctate microsculpture most prominent on subsutural ramp but occurring more or less distinctly over entire whorl. Spiral cords most prominent in interspaces, weaker over ribs. Last whorl attaining ~33% of total height, basal angulation coinciding with weak to moderately prominent peribasal cord, base weakly convex to nearly flat bearing weak axial ribs and weak spiral cords. Aperture subcircular to ovate, columella weakly concave. Outer lip thickened by terminal varix without forming broad peristome. Columellar callus and parietal callus forming continuous, narrow, attached rim. Peristome duplex but relatively thin with glossy inner layer. No umbilicus.

Discussion. The generic placement of this species was controversial. It was placed in various combinations in Pliciscala de Boury, 1887 [type species Scalaria gouldi Deshayes, 1861 ; Eocene, France], Punctiscala de Boury, 1890 and Opalia [type species Scalaria australis Lamarck, 1822 ; present-day, Australia]. Pliciscala gouldi , from the Eocene of the Paris Basin, has prominent axial ribs but strongly reduced spiral sculpture. Its peristome is duplex and the base is convex ( Deshayes 1861: pl. 11, figs 15–16). Similarly, Pliciscala obliqua Garvie, 2021 , from the Eocene of Texas, lacks spiral cords and lacks a basal angulation ( Garvie 2021, fig. 1A–B). Punctiscala brandenburgi ( Boettger, 1906) differs in its distinct spiral sculpture, the basal angulation and the weakly thickened peristome. Therefore, a close relation with Pliciscala is unlikely. Opalia is a problematic genus in which morphologically quite different species are currently placed. The type species Opalia australis is conical with strongly raised, convex axial ribs, lacks spiral sculpture and has a very prominent peribasal cord from which the axial ribs develop. Its peristome is not very thickened. The same morphology is seen in Opalia wroblewskyi ( Mörch, 1875) , Opalia montereyensis ( Dall, 1907) , Opalia gereti (de Boury, 1913 a) and Opalia abbotti Clench & Turner, 1952 . Several other species currently placed in Opalia by MolluscaBase (2024i), Weil et al. (1999), Garcia (2004) and Lima et al. (2012) differ in their pupoid shape and/or crenulated suture and might better be placed in Nodiscala de Boury, 1890 , Dentiscala de Boury, 1887 or similar genera. It is beyond the scope of this paper to revise these extant species but in any case, Punctiscala brandenburgi is very different from Opalia sensu stricto and we reject its placement in Opalia .

Paleoenvironment. Occurrences in the Baden Formation of the Vienna Basin suggest middle to outer neritic settings in up to 250 m water depth ( Kranner et al. 2021) .

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Korytnica Basin: Korytnica ( Poland) ( Bałuk 1975); Vienna Basin: Baden, Baden-Sooss ( Austria) (hoc opus); Novohrad-Nógrád Basin: Nógrádszakál ( Hungary) ( Bogsch 1936); Bükk Mountains: Balaton ( Hungary) ( Csepreghy-Meznerics 1969a); Făget Basin: CoŞteiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Boettger 1906).

MD	Museum Donaueschingen
NHMW	Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien

Copyright notice

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Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Mollusca
Class	Gastropoda
Family	Epitoniidae
Genus	Punctiscala