Varioconus montisclavus ( Sacco, 1893 )

Kovács, Zoltán & Balázs, Péter, 2015, Conidae (Neogastropoda) assemblage from the Middle Miocene of the Făget Basin (Romania) in the collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 32, pp. 11-48 : 29

Varioconus montisclavus ( Sacco, 1893)

(Figs 60–63)

1893 Chelyconus Montisclavus – SACCO, p. 68, pl. 6, fig. 38, varieties: cappucinorum, pagodaeformis, inflatulospira, mamillatocrassa, angulatocrassa, humilispirata, magnomamillata, mamillospira: p. 68–69, pl. 6, figs 39–46.

1964 Conus montisclavus (Sacco) – HALL, p. 149, pl. 26, figs 1–3, 5–6 (cum syn.).

Material – 7 specimens – Coşteiu: M 60.9861.A-B., 60.9863.C.; Lăpugiu: M 60.8289.K., 60.8301.D., 68.599.C.; Nemeşeşti: M 60.8106.C.

Description – SL: 25–37. Spire low, outline convex, apex projected. Spiral whorls finely striate. Shoulder rounded. Body whorl conical, outline slightly sigmoid, smooth with fine ridges at the base. Subsutural flexure asymmetrically curved, shallow. Colour pattern of specimen M 68.599.C.: dense spiral rows of dashes.

Remarks – The species shows moderate variability of growth of the spire. Specimen M 68.599.C. matches V. montisclavus mamillospira ( SACCO 1893, pl. 6, fig. 46), while specimen M 60.8301.D. is close to Chelyconus ponderosulcatus mamillatoides Sacco (refigured by FERRERO MORTARA et al. 1984, pl. 19, fig. 8) that was considered as montisclavus by HALL (1964). This is the first record of the taxon from the Central Paratethys.

Distribution – Middle Miocene: Paratethys ( Romania), Mediterranean ( Italy).