Varioconus pelagicus ( Brocchi, 1814 )

Kovács, Z. & Vicián, Z., 2013, Badenian (Middle Miocene) Conoidean (Neogastropoda) fauna from Letkés (N Hungary), Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 30, pp. 53-100 : 87

Varioconus pelagicus ( Brocchi, 1814)

(Figs 131–137)

1814 Conus pelagicus – BROCCHI, p. 289, pl. 2, fig. 9.

1879 Conus (Chelyconus) Suessi nov. form. – HOERNES & AUINGER, p. 43, pl. 1, figs 1, 15, pl. 6, figs 1–2 [non pl. 6, figs 3–4 = Chelyconus posticestriatus ( Kojumdgieva 1960) ].

1956 Conus (Chelyconus) puschi Michelotti – PAVLOVSKY, pl. 2, fig. 5.

1964 Conus pelagicus Brocchi – HALL, p. 155, pl. 27, figs 1–4, 7, 15–16, 20–23 (cum syn.).

1999 Conus (Chelyconus) pelagicus Brocchi – MUÑIZ, p. 55, figs 2/N, 7/Q–R (cum syn.).

2012 Conus pelagicus Brocchi – LOZANO, p. 133, pl. 10, fig. 2.

Material – 72 specimens.

Description – Shell medium-sized (SL: 18–48). Spire conical, elevated, outline slightly convex to straight. Spiral whorls smooth or striate. Early whorls finely beaded. Shoulder rounded. Body whorl conical, outline sigmoid, ornamented with fine spiral ridges on the lower half. Small tubercles appear irregularly on the ridges of two specimens. Subsutural flexure nearly diagonal.

Remarks – The Letkés specimens are close to the holotype (figured by PINNA & SPEZIA 1978, pl. 18, fig. 4), but show slight variety of length and width of the body whorl. Some are allied to the type of V. lapugyensis ( HOERNES & AUINGER 1879, pl. 1, fig. 9). Based on morphological features and stratigraphic range, Conus suessi Hoernes et Auinger is considered here as a junior synonym of V. pelagicus . The Conus puschi figured by PAVLOVSKY (1956, pl. 2, fig. 5) from Croatia is much closer to V. pelagicus .

Distribution – Algeria, Azores Islands, (?) Corsica, Sardinia (M), Canary Islands, Italy, Spain (M-P), France (LM), Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine (MM), Greece (MM-P). Hungary: Borsodbóta, Diósd, Letkés, Szob, Budapest: Illés street, Örs vezér square (MM).