Conilithes dujardini ( Deshayes, 1845 )

Kovács, Z. & Vicián, Z., 2013, Badenian (Middle Miocene) Conoidean (Neogastropoda) fauna from Letkés (N Hungary), Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 30, pp. 53-100 : 92-93

Conilithes dujardini ( Deshayes, 1845)

(Figs 157–159)

1830 Conus exaltatus – EICHWALD, p. 222.

1839–1853 Conus Dujardini Deshayes – DESHAYES, pl. 120, fig. 8.

1845 Conus Dujardini – DESHAYES, p. 158.

1853 Conus exaltatus – EICHWALD, p. 208, pl. 9, fig. 3.

1936 Conus (Leptoconus) Dujardini Deshayes var. egerensis – NOSZKY, p. 81.

1954 Conus (Conolithus) dujardini Deshayes – STRAUSZ, p. 78, pl. 7, fig. 144.

1966 Conus (Conolithus) dujardini Deshayes – STRAUSZ, p. 451, pl. 67, figs 2–5, 7.

non 1973 Conus (Conospira) dujardini Deshayes – BOHN-HAVAS, pl. 8, figs 1–2 (= C. canaliculatus Brocchi, 1814 ).

1973 Conus (Conospira) dujardini brezinae Hoernes et Auinger – BOHN-HAVAS, p. 1067, pl. 8, fig. 6.

2010 Conus (Conolithus) dujardini Deshayes – CAZE et al., p. 35, Fig. 5 /N.

Material – 79 specimens.

Description – Shell moderately small (SL: 11–26). Spire high, outline straight to concave. Apical whorls tuberculate. Teleoconch sutural ramps concave, whorls smooth to finely striate. Shoulder angulate in early whorls, carinate in the last whorl. Body whorl conical, outline concave, either smooth with spiral grooves from the base up to the mid-height or fully ornamented with fine grooves. Subsutural flexure asymmetrically curved and deep.

Remarks – Remarkably different forms have been documented in the literature under the name C. dujardini . In the Letkés material, RSH of 30 specimens was between 22.7–31.8% with an average of 27.78%. The species is characterised by three phenotypically different forms. Most specimens in the literature agree with the type in smooth upper part of the body whorl (e.g. STRAUSZ 1966, pl. 67, fig. 4; CHIRA & VOIA 2001, pl. 1, fig. 5), while others, with identical morphology, are fully ornamented with incised spiral grooves ( STRAUSZ 1966, pl. 67, figs 2–3; BAŁUK 1997, pl. 19, figs 5–8). Granulated shells also occurred in the Miocene fossil records ( COOMANS 1973). Similarly to shell granulation, striate ornamentation can also be interpreted within a single species; therefore the validity of C. exaltatus is rejected here. It must be emphasised that on the principle of priority, EICHWALD (1830) ought to be entitled to the authorship of the species in question. Based on the widespread use of dujardini , however, conservation of DESHAYES’ taxon name is acknowledged here. Some considerations of phylogenetic relationships between Mediterranean Tertiary conoids including C. dujardini were offered by FERRERO & PICCOLI (1970). C. antidiluvianus and C. canaliculatus with similar morphology and Lower Miocene appearance are probably descendants of the species.

Distribution – Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands (UE-M), Azores Islands, Belgium, Corsica, Portugal, Sardinia (M), France, Italy, Turkey (M-P), Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia (LM-MM), Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldavia, Sardinia, Serbia, Ukraine (MM), Greece (MM-UM), Libya (MM-P), Algeria, Crete, Spain (UM), England (UP). Hungary: Balassagyarmat, Diósjenő, Eger, Novaj (UO), Hont, Mogyoród, Nagybátony, Tar, Várpalota (LM), Bánd, Borsodbóta, Diósd, Herend, Hetvehely, Hidas, Kovácsvágás, Letkés, Márkháza, Mátraverebély, Nógrádszakál, Sámsonháza, Szob, Szokolya, Várpalota, Zebegény, Budapest: Rákos, Illés street (MM).