Punctiscala moravica, 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 : 113-114

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-FF95-FF95-FF3F-FD0BFCB69101
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Punctiscala moravica
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Punctiscala moravica sp. nov.

Figs 40F View FIGURE 40 , 43A View FIGURE 43 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2

Type material. Holotype, NHMW 1871 View Materials /0010/0126, SL: 9.2 mm, MD: 3.1 mm, Porzteich at Břeclav ( Czech Republic), Figs 40F View FIGURE 40 , 43A View FIGURE 43 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Type locality. Porzteich at Břeclav ( Czech Republic), Vienna Basin .

Type stratum. Baden Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. Referring to Moravia, a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic.

Diagnosis. Small, slender shell with subcylindrical whorls, deeply incised suture, strongly raised, prominent axial ribs overrun by six much weaker spiral cords, aperture subcircular, small, duplex.

Description. Shell small, slender (apical angle ~17°). Protoconch unknown. Teleoconch of about nine whorls. Whorl profile weakly convex to subcylindrical, vaguely biangular along shoulder and close above abapical suture. Suture deeply impressed, slightly undulating. Sculpture of prominent, strongly raised, narrow, orthocline axial ribs, not aligned axially (9: 11: 12), separated by wider interspaces, overrun by up to six broad, low spiral cords, separated by wider interspaces. Spiral cords much weaker than ribs, forming rectangular sculpture. Last whorl attaining about 35% of total height, basal angulation delimited by prominent peribasal cord, basal disc with slightly scalloped margin, bearing about five prominent cords. Aperture small, subcircular. Outer lip strongly thickened. Columellar and parietal callus forming continuous, narrow rim. Peristome duplex. No umbilicus.

Discussion. Punctiscala moravica sp. nov. is reminiscent of Punctiscala plicosa ( Philippi, 1844) , from the Late Miocene and Pliocene of the Mediterranean Sea but differs in its smaller size, subcylindrical whorls, less convex axial ribs and thicker peristome (see Landau et al. 2006: pl. 17, figs 1–5). The extant Mediterranean Punctiscala cerigottana ( Sturany, 1896) may develop a comparable outline but has much more prominent, strongly raised, convex axial ribs and much finer spiral sculpture.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown.

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Vienna Basin: Porzteich at Břeclav ( Czech Republic) (hoc opus).

Genus Scala Mörch, 1852

Type species. Turbo clathrus Linnaeus, 1758 ; by tautonymy of replaced name [ Clathrus View in CoL ]; present-day, Mediterranean Sea.

Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized, solid, slender to moderately slender conical shell with convex whorls, deeply impressed suture. Sculpture of very prominent, widely spaced lamellae with successively more rolled over crests during ontogeny, lamellae distinctly obliquely axially aligned, fused across suture resulting in deeply fenestrate suture. Axial interspaces glossy, smooth or with faint spiral threads. Last whorl convex, no peribasal cord, lamellae strongly rolled over on base. Short, broad fasciole. Aperture subcircular, peristome thickened by terminal varix, no umbilicus.

Discussion. Scala was first used by Klein (1753), which is a pre-Linnean work without nomenclatorial status. Later, Mörch (1852: 48) made Scala available as a substitute name for “ Clathrus Ocken [sic]” and listed [ Scalaria (Scala) ] clathrus Linnaeus as species, which thus become the type species (see also discussion in Bouchet & Warén 1986: 499).

Clathrus was originally introduced by Oken (1815: 255) but his work was placed on the Official Index by Opinion 417 ( ICZN 1956). Later, the name was made available by Agassiz (1837: 35). The complex nomenclatorial history was reviewed by Brown & Neville (2015: 21), who clarified the situation by the subsequent designation of Scalaria acuta J. Sowerby, 1812 from the Eocene of the British Isles as type species [for illustrations see Sowerby (1812: pl. 16, lower two figs), Duerr 2004: fig. 9 and Savazzi & Saski (2004: fig 11A–B, H)]. Sacco (1891) used Clathrus for several Miocene species from Italy. Cossmann (1912: 36) gave a first detailed diagnosis for Clathrus but this was based on an incorrect type species [ Scalaria communis Lamarck, 1822 , = Epitonium clathrus ( Linnaeus, 1758) ]. Therefore, Clathrus sensu Cossmann 1912 is an objective synonym of Scala Mörch, 1852 . This erroneous concept was also adopted by Weil et al. (1999). Therefore, the understanding of Clathrus varied greatly in the literature and no diagnosis was available so far for Clathrus sensu Brown & Neville (2015) . This diagnosis is provided here: Medium-sized, moderately stocky conical, gradate, coronate, with weakly convex to subcylindrical whorls, moderately wide, weakly concave subsutural shelf. Suture deeply impressed. Moderately close-set, prominent, prosocline robust, strongly raised lamellae with rolled over crests; interspaces with broad, low, convex spiral cords. Lamellae not aligned across teleoconch disconnected along suture. Last whorl with sub-angled base without persisting peribasal cord. Lamellae prominent on base, strongly rolled over. Short, broad fasciole with prominent growth lines. Aperture subcircular, columellar callus forming broad rim detached from base, parietal callus weak, peristome thickened, duplex.