Varioconus suessi ( Hoernes et Auinger, 1879 )

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 : 36-37

Varioconus suessi ( Hoernes et Auinger, 1879)

(Figs 87–88)

1879 Conus (Chelyconus) Suessi nov. form. – HOERNES & AUINGER, p. 43, pl. 1, figs 1, 15, pl. 6, figs 1–2 only.

1960 Conus (Chelyconus) suessi Hoernes et Auinger – KOJUMDGIEVA, p. 212, pl. 49, fig. 8.

1966 Conus (Chelyconus) suessi Hoernes et Auinger – STRAUSZ, p. 459, pl. 69, fig. 6.

1976 Conus (Chelyconus) suessi Hoernes et Auinger – PAPP, p. 136, pl. 35, figs 16–17, pl. 36, figs 6–7.

Material – 12 specimens – Coşteiu: M 60.10105.; Lăpugiu: M 60.8281.B-C., 60.8292.G-H., 60.8307., 60.8358.A-D., 60.8360.E., 60.10148.

Description – SL: 28–85. Spire of moderate height, outline straight. Spiral whorls flat, smooth. Shoulder rounded. Body whorl conical, outline straight to slightly convex, ornamented with fine spiral ridges. Subsutural flexure asymmetrically curved, shallow.

Remarks – The taxon was considered as a junior synonym of V. pelagicus by KOVÁCS & VICIÁN (2014). After the analysis of the Făget Basin materials, however, we recognize the validity of the species. V. pelagicus differs in sigmoid body whorl with well-developed siphonal fasciole, and in nearly diagonal subsutural flexure.

Distribution – Middle Miocene: Paratethys ( Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania).