Semicassis laevigata ( Defrance, 1817 )

Kovács, Zoltán & Vicián, Zoltán, 2017, Middle Miocene Tonnoidea and Ficoidea (Caenogastropoda) assemblages from Letkés (Hungary), Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 34, pp. 75-104 : 82

Semicassis laevigata ( Defrance, 1817)

(Figs 14–17)

1817 Cassis laevigata – DEFRANCE, vol. 7, p. 210.

1966 Phalium (Semicassis) saburon miolaevigatum Sacco – STRAUSZ, p. 244, pl. 64, fig. 4, pl. 72, figs 15–17, pl. 73, figs 1–5.

2013 Semicassis laevigata (Defrance) – LANDAU et al., p. 125, pl. 17, fig. 6 (cum syn.).

Material – 351 specimens (SL 12–44); HNHM: M.62.829–831, INV 2017.670. (Figs 14–15), INV 2017. 671. (Figs 16–17), INV 2017.672 (9) , 337 specimens in private collections.

Description – Globose shell, low spire, slightly convex spire whorls, convex, smooth last whorl more than 80% of the total height, constricted at the base. Wide aperture, outer lip thickened by labral varix, smooth with small denticles, short, deep, recurved siphonal canal, plicate columella, short, recurved fasciole. Spiral sculpture of fine grooves on the spiral whorls, two fine grooves on the concave sutural ramp of the last whorl, axial sculpture of growth lines.

Remarks – S. laevigata is widely distributed in the Badenian localities of Hungary but generally it is a rare element of the mollusc assemblages. Its abundance is noteworthy; it was the most dominant tonnoidean species in the Letkés material.

Distribution – Karpatian: CP ( Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary), Burdigalian-Langhian: NSB ( the Netherlands, Germany), PMS ( Italy), Badenian: CP ( Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine), Serravallian: NEA ( France), PMS ( Turkey), Tortonian: NSB ( Denmark), NEA ( Portugal, S Spain), PMS ( Italy). For Pliocene range see VAN DINGENEN et al. (2016).