Crassimurex (Eopaziella) zoltani, Harzhauser & Landau & Merle, 2025

Harzhauser, Mathias, Landau, Bernard M. & Merle, Didier, 2025, The Muricidae (Gastropoda, Muricoidea) of the Miocene Central Paratethys Sea (Haustrinae, Muricinae, Ocenebrinae, Pagodulinae, Typhinae, Muricidae incertae sedis), Zootaxa 5572 (1), pp. 1-162 : 120-121

Crassimurex (Eopaziella) zoltani sp. nov.

Figs 59A 1 –A 2

Crassimurex (Eopaziella) capito ( Philippi, 1844) — Kovács 2019: 121, figs 26–27 [non Crassimurex (Eopaziella) capito ( Philippi, 1844) ].

non Trophon capito Philippi, 1844 — Strausz 1966: 269, text-fig. 123, pl. 32, figs 7–8 [non Crassimurex (Eopaziella) capito

( Philippi, 1844), = Dermomurex ].

Holotype. M.59.1949B, SL: 41 mm, MD: 27 mm, Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), Figs 59A 1 –A 2 .

Type locality. Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania), Făget Basin.

Type stratum. Silt and clay of the Dej Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, early/middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. In honor of Zoltán Kovács (Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest), in recognition for his contributions on Paratethyan paleontology.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized, relatively slender biconic shell with conical spire. broad, steep subsutural ramp, angled shoulder and widely spaced, lamellar varices; strongly reduced spiral sculpture with weak P1–P5, s3 and s4; outer lip thickened with weak D1–D5, anal canal deeply incised adapically.

Description. Medium-sized, biconic shell with conical spire, apical angle ~56°. Protoconch and early teleoconch unknown. Teleoconch of more than four whorls. Suture weakly incised. Teleoconch whorls with broad, steep subsutural ramp, angled shoulder. Axial sculpture of about nine widely spaced varices, forming very short spines along shoulder of last whorl. Spiral sculpture poorly preserved on spire. Last whorl attaining 75% of total height, with broad, shallow, weakly concave subsutural ramp, angled shoulder, subcylindrical to weakly convex below, moderately constricted at base; up to nine lamellar varices; terminal varix slightly flaring, P1 forming short, adapically curved spines along shoulder; P2–P5 weak most prominent close to aperture; weak s3, s4. Fasciole weakly swollen, delimiting moderately wide, shallow pseudoumbilicus. Aperture moderately wide, ovate; outer lip thickened, with weakly everted edge; subsobsolete ID and weak D1–D5 (D3, D4 bifid) placed some distance behind peristome. Anal canal moderately wide, deeply incised into outer lip at insertion. Siphonal canal long, moderately wide, open, straight. Columella smooth, moderately excavated in adapical part, slightly twisted at transition to siphonal canal. Columellar callus forming broad, adherent rim.

Discussion. This species is known so far only by a single specimen from the type locality. It differs from Crassimurex (Eopaziella) algortis ( De Gregorio, 1885b) , from the Early Miocene of Austria, in its slenderer shell, internal denticles D1 to D5 and the deep anal canal. Crassimurex (Eopaziella) capito ( Philippi, 1844) from the Late Eocene to Late Oligocene of the North Sea Basin, differs in its broader outline, lower spire, more prominent varices and it lacks a deeply incised anal canal.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown. Assembalges from inner neritic and midle to outer neritic environments occur at Lăpugiu de Sus (own data M.H.).

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Langhian (Middle Miocene): Făget Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus ( Romania) ( Kovács 2019).

Incertae sedis

Genus Homalocantha Mörch, 1852

Type species. Murex scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 ; by monotypy. Present-day, Indo-West Pacific.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cord diagrams and apertural features for Haustrinae [Haustrum? pyrulatum (Hoernes & Auinger, 1882)] and Muricinae [Bolinus gapus (De Gregorio, 1885a), Bolinus partschi (Hörnes, 1853), Chicoreus (Triplex) aquitanicus (Grateloup, 1833), Chicoreus (Triplex) hirmetzli (Kovács, 2018), Chicoreus (Triplex) notatus (Eichwald, 1830). Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) trunculoides (Pusch, 1837), Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) esplus (De Gregorio, 1885a), Hexaplex(Trunculariopsis) subasperrimus (d’Orbigny, 1852), Promurex spinicosta (Bronn, 1831), Exquisitor graniferus (Michelotti, 1841)].

FIGURE 2. A1–A2. Haustrum? pyrulatum (Hoernes & Auinger, 1882), holotype, NHMW 1859/0045/0590, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania). B1–B2. Haustrum lacunosum (Bruguière, 1789), MNHN-IM-2000-904, lectotype, New Zealand, present-day, photo: Manuel Caballer, 2014 RECOLNAT project ANR-11-INBS-0004.

FIGURE 59. Crassimurex (Eopaziella) zoltani sp. nov. A1–A2. M.59.1949B, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania).