Content uploaded by Didier Merle
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Didier Merle on Mar 17, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
The spiral cords and the internal denticles of the outer lip in the Muricidae: Terminology and methodological comments
... Terminology used to describe the spiral cords and the apertural denticles after Merle (2001;2005) and Merle & Houart (2003): ...
A systematic revision of species based on shell morphology and ontogeny is here proposed for some Hexaplex Perry, 1810, Phyllonotus Swainson, 1833 and all known Muricanthus Swainson, 1840. Modifications are indicated in the classification of Hexaplex.s.l. and Phyllonotus. Five species are reassigned to Muricanthus: M. ambiguus (Reeve, 1845), M. callidinus Berry, 1958, M. nigritus (Philippi, 1845), M. radix (Gmelin, 1791) and the elusive M. strausi (A.H. Verrill, 1950). All these species are described, commented on and illustrated.
More than twenty other taxa are here assigned or reassigned to Hexaplex s.s., Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) Cossmann, 1921 and Phyllonotus Swainson, 1833.
... Deux autres espèces sont également décrites et des remarques taxonomiques et nomenclaturales sur des espèces affines sont également proposées.Abréviation des références aux collectionsMNHN.F: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Collection de Paléontologie (Paris, France). utilisée pour décrire les cordons spiraux et les denticules de l'ouverture (d'aprèsMerle, 2001Merle, et 2005. ...
RÉSUMÉ : Trois espèces nouvelles du genre Timbellus De Gregorio, 1885 sont décrites du Lutétien du bassin de Paris et du Cotentin: T. hesdinensis nov. sp., T. cailloelensis nov. sp. et T. wozniaki nov. sp. Timbellus hesdinensis nov. sp. correspond au taxon Timbellus tricarinoides exornatus "(Le Renard, 1988)" qui est non conforme aux dispositions obligatoires de l’ICZN et est donc invalide.
ABSTRACT: Three new species of the genus Timbellus De Gregorio, 1885 are described from the Lutetian of the Paris Basin and Cotentin: T. hesdinensis nov. sp., T. cailloelensis nov. sp. and T. wozniaki nov. sp. Timbellus hesdinensis nov. sp. corresponds to the taxon Timbellus tricarinoides exornatus “(Le Renard, 1988)”, which does not correspond to the mandatory provisions of ICZN and therefore is invalid.
... Unfortunately, the Azorean specimen is decorticated, giving the surface a somewhat different aspect to that usually attributed to this species. Nevertheless, the size, general shape, penultimate whorl with two strong cords, and the last whorl with strong varices and a long recurved P1 (terminology follows Merle 1999Merle , 2001 at the shoulder are consistent with Favartia suboblonga (d 'Orbigny, 1852). For detailed description and discussion on the species, see Landau et al. (2009Landau et al. ( , 2013Landau et al. ( , 2019. ...
In this work, all the Lower Pliocene gastropod assemblages of Santa Maria Island are revised. These all form part of the
Touril Complex. Seventy-seven species are identified representing 61 genera. Two species are described as new: Bittium
miradouroense nov. sp. and Erato mayeri nov. sp. The name Tritonium secans Bronn in Reiss 1862 is considered a junior
subjective synonym of Monoplex comptus (A. Adams, 1855). Pleurotoma perturrita Bronn in Reiss 1862 is considered
a junior subjective synonym of Crassopleura maravignae (Bivona, 1838). However, due to the difficulties in collecting
from these deposits, this is likely to be a considerable underestimate of the original diversity of local Early Pliocene
gastropod faunas.
The assemblage reflects a fully tropical with mean annual sea surface temperatures (SSTs) estimated about 3.7°C to
6.3°C higher than the present-day 20.6°C, and with mean monthly SSTs ranging from 20°C to 28°C, with six months with
mean SSTs over 24°C. The assemblages all represent relatively shallow water, fully saline marine environments.
At genus level the assemblage is typical of that seen in the tropical Mediterranean-West African Palaeobiogeographical
Province during the early Pliocene (MPPMU1; roughly equivalent to the Zanclean and earliest Piacenzian). At species
level, 35% of the species taxa found in Santa Maria are also found in the Mediterranean during MPPMU1. There is a
much weaker association with the northern warm temperate Pliocene Boreal-Celtic Province, with only 17% of species
occurring in both. Moreover, most of those are ubiquitous European species with both wide geographic and stratigraphic
distributions. The assemblage is relatively endemic (29%) suggesting that the Azorean subprovince/ecoregion, which is
recognised today, was already in place in the Lower Pliocene. A small number of tonnoidean species found in Santa Maria
are species known to have had an amphiatlantic distribution during the Pliocene, and for Distorsio mcgintyi Emerson &
Puffer, 1953, a well-known and widely distributed tropical American Atlantic species from the Early Miocene to present-day,
its presence in Santa Maria marks the most easterly range expansion for the species, as today is not found in the
Azores.
... As a bivalve or brachiopod shell ages, for example, the rate of shell deposition away from the axis of spiral rotation decreases, causing new increments to be added more nearly perpendicular to the plane of the commissure, with the results that the expression of concentric ridges is reduced (Rudwick, 1959;Vermeij, 1971). The functions of sculpture have been well studied (e.g., Merle, 2001Merle, , 2005Signor, 1982;Stanley, 1969Stanley, , 1970Stanley, , 1981Vermeij, 1993;Webster & Palmer, 2016;Webster & Vermeij, 2017), but some sculptural traits have neither been described nor functionally evaluated. ...
Molluscan shells display a high diversity of external sculpture. Sculptural elements may be symmetrical, where both edges of an element are morphologically similar, or asymmetrical, where one edge is steeper than the other. Asymmetrical sculpture can be ratcheted, with the leading edges (those in the direction of locomotion or growth) less steep than the trailing edges, or imbricated (leading edges steeper than trailing edges). While ratcheted sculpture is better-known, the diversity of imbricated sculpture has remained largely unexplored. In a survey of extant benthic shell-bearing molluscs, we document imbricated sculpture primarily in epifaunal bivalves or on the exposed sectors of shells of semi-infaunal bivalves. Imbricated sculpture is particularly widespread in pteriomorphian bivalves, but it is absent in the subclade Mytiloidea as well as in highly mobile Pectinidae. It also occurs in many carditid bivalves (Archiheterodonta) and in phylogenetically scattered euheterodonts. In several infaunal bivalves including species of Cardites (Carditidae), Hecuba (Donacidae), and Chione (Veneridae), comarginal elements on the posterior sector are imbricated whereas anterior comarginal ridges are ratcheted. Imbricated sculpture in bivalves tends to be concentrated on the upper (left) valves of pectinids or on the posterior sector of both valves in archiheterodonts and euheterodonts. Imbricated sculpture is uncommon in gastropods, even in epifaunal species, but does occur in the collabral ridges in some Vasidae and a few other groups. Expression of imbricated sculpture does not depend on shell mineral composition or microstructure. The ecological distribution and within-shell pattern of expression of imbricated sculpture point to the likelihood that this type of asymmetrical sculpture is both widespread and potentially functional. Additionally, we present a potential methodology whereby shell sculpture categories (symmetrical, ratcheted, and imbricated) may be quantified by comparing the lengths of corresponding leading and trailing edges across the shell surface. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
We document 59 species of Aspellinae, Ergalataxinae, Coralliophilinae, Rapaninae and Muricidae incertae sedis from the Miocene of the Central Paratethys Sea. The subfamily Coralliophilinae is the most specious group among these subfamilies,
comprising numerous rare and overlooked new species. Aspellinae and Rapaninae display moderate endemicity, whereas Coralliophilinae and Ergalataxinae are characterized by high endemicity. This points to a diversity hotspot, which formed
in the coral reefs of the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum. Favorable conditions during the Langhian (early/middle Badenian) are also reflected by an enormous boom in diversity and a distinct loss of species numbers with the subsequent onset of the Serravallian (late Badenian).
Zoltania is introduced as new genus in Rapaninae. Aspella teter sp. nov., Favartia kovacsi sp. nov., Muricopsis hystrix sp. nov., Pazinotus aster sp. nov., Pazinotus pulcher sp. nov. (Aspellinae), Cathymorula exilissima sp. nov. (Ergalataxinae), Coralliophila acuta sp. nov., Coralliophila badensis sp. nov., Coralliophila elegantula sp. nov., Coralliophila hoplites sp. nov., Coralliophila megaglobosa sp. nov. and Coralliophila wegmuelleri sp. nov. (Coralliophilinae) are described as new species.
ABSTRACT. Eighteen new species of Muricidae are described in four subfamilies and nine genera from different regions. Twelve species are from the Eastern Atlantic and the Caribbean region, Siratus graciadiosus n. sp. and Favartia garifuna n. sp. from Honduras, Murexsul laticlavus n. sp., Muricopsis rikae n. sp. and Pygmaepterys canalongus n. sp. from Panama, Chicoreus (Triplex) domlamyi n. sp. from Saint-Martin Island, Favartia salmonicolor n. sp. from Saint-Barthelemy Island, Siratus tenuisculptus n. sp. from the Dominican Republic, Murexsul altachorda n. sp. from Grenadines, Chicoreus (Triplex) rotundus n. sp. and Pygmaepterys hadroseira n. sp. from Venezuela and Siratus tamoio n. sp. from Brazil; two species are from the western Indian Ocean, Pascula adamantea n. sp. from Somalia and Enixotrophon avicula n. sp. from the Mozambique Channel; one species is from the eastern Indian Ocean, Favartia vilvensi n. sp. from Western Australia; one species from the western Pacific, Chicoreus (Triplex) spiralatus n. sp. from the Philippine Islands; one species from the northern Pacific, Boreotrophon pseudelegantulus n. sp. from the Kuriles Islands and one species from the eastern Pacific, Favartia sipholata n. sp. from Chile
All are compared with similar species that are extensively illustrated by different specimens.
Chicoreus vokesae Macsotay & Campos, 2001, junior homonym of Chicoreus (Naquetia) vokesae Houart, 1986 is considered synonym of C. brevifrons (Lamarck, 1822); the name Siratus tenuivaricosus (Dautzenberg, 1927), new name for Murex calcar Kiener, 1842, not Murex calcar J. de C. Sowerby, 1823 and Murex calcar Scacchi, 1835 is restricted to specimens similar to the syntype of Murex calcar Kiener, a new species is described for the species occasionally confused with S. tenuivaricosus; Muricopsis duffyi Petuch, 1992 is reinstated as a valid name and Trophonopsis yurii Egorov, 1994 is assigned to the genus Scabrotrophon.
We document 72 species of Haustrinae, Muricinae, Ocenebrinae, Pagodulinae, Typhinae and Muricidae incertae sedis from the Miocene of the Central Paratethys Sea. The subfamily Ocenebrinae is the most specious group within the Paratethyan Muricidae, comprising numerous new species. Muricinae, Muricidae incertae sedis and Typhinae display only low endemicity and comprise many paleogeographically widespread species. In contrast, Pagodulinae and Ocenebrinae are characterized by high endemicity and point to a Paratethyan hotspot of diversity of Ocenebrinae. The subfamily Haustrinae is recorded for the first time from the Miocene of the Circum-Mediterranean region. The Paratethyan records suggest a Middle Miocene radiation of the deep water genus Timbellus which contains five species. Ocinebrinopsis nov. gen. is introduced as new genus. Ceratostoma? steiningeri sp. nov., Kestocenebra vermeiji sp. nov., Ocenebra scorpio sp. nov., Ocinebrinopsis gregaria sp. nov., Ocinebrinopsis aperta sp. nov., Ocinebrinopsis dominicii sp. nov., Ocinebrinopsis subnuda sp. nov., Ocinebrina bellissima sp. nov., Ocinebrina s.l. praescalaris sp. nov., Crassimurex
(Eopaziella) zoltani sp. nov., Timbellus kovacsi sp. nov. and Timbellus weinmannae sp. nov. are described as new species. Ocenebra littoralis nov. nom. is proposed as new name for Murex (Ocinebrina) erinaceus sublaevis Schaffer, 1912 non Tate, 1888 and Pterynopsis guzhovi nov. nom. is introduced for Murex affinis eichwald, 1830 non Gmelin, 1791. Ocenebra breitenbergeri sp. nov. is described as new species from the Middle Miocene of the Karaman Basin in Turkey.
Abstract: This paper introduces new European Cenozoic muricids coming mainly from different French basins (Paris, Aquitaine, Loire and Normandy). Firstly, 24 species are described: Muricopsis pontileviensis n. sp., Muricopsis neraudeaui n. sp., Favartia jansseni n. sp., Dermomurex (Gracilimurex) ligerianus n. sp., Trubatsa ganensis n. sp., Trubatsa calviniacensis n. sp., Timbellus magnificus n. sp., Timbellus occidentalis n. sp., Timbellus calciacus n. sp., Timbellus longicanalis n. sp., Timbellus magnei n. name (for Murex trigonus Rouault, 1850, not Gmelin, 1791), Timbellus sixi n. sp., Timbellus curvispina n. sp., Timbellus radulfiensis n. sp., Timbellus submicropterus n. sp., Ponderia remyi n. sp., Pterynotus (Pterymarchia) gaasensis n. sp., P. (Pterymarchia) pelouatensis n. sp., Textiliomurex chodmonensis n. sp., Flexopteron constantinense n. sp., F. liancurtense n. sp., Crassimurex (Pliocrassimurex) hirtus n. subgen., n. sp., Nucellopsis parisiensis n. sp. and Pronucellopsis pacaudi Merle, Ledon & Goret, n. gen., n. sp. Secondly, four genera and one subgenus are described: Paleochicoreus Merle, n. gen. (type species: Chicoreus (Phyllonotus) initialis Vokes, 1990), Beyregrex Merle, n. gen. (type species: Murex pereger Beyrich, 1854), Pseudotrophonopsis Merle, n. gen. (type species: Buccinum defossum Pilkington, 1804), Pronucellopsis Merle, n. gen. (type species: Pronucellopsis pacaudi Merle, Ledon & Goret, n. gen., n. sp.) and Crassimurex (Pliocrassimurex) n. subgen. (type species: Crassimurex (Pliocrassimurex) hirtus n. subgen., n. sp.). Thirdly, based on a phylogenetic analysis one new subfamily is erected for a clade of fossil genera that are not closely related to extant subfamilies: Nucellopsinae Merle, n. subfam. (type genus: Nucellopsis Merle, 2005c) including Nucellopsis and Pronucellopsis Merle, n. gen. In addition, a neotype for Murex tripteroides Lamarck, 1822, Murex tricarinatus Lamarck, 1803 and a lectotype for Murex fusoides Deshayes, 1865 and Murex sandbergeri (Hörnes, 1856) are designated.
Résumé : Cet article présente de nouveaux Muricidae Rafinesque, 1815 du Cénozoïque d’Europe provenant principalement de différents bassins français (bassins de Paris, d’Aquitaine, de la Loire et de Normandie). Premièrement, 24 espèces sont décrites : Muricopsis pontileviensis n. sp., Muricopsis neraudeaui n. sp., Favartia jansseni n. sp., Dermomurex (Gracilimurex) ligerianus n. sp., Trubatsa ganensis n. sp., Trubatsa calviniacensis n. sp., Timbellus magnificus n. sp., Timbellus occidentalis n. sp., Timbellus calciacus n. sp., Timbellus longicanalis n. sp., Timbellus magnei n. name (pro Murex trigonus Rouault, 1850, non Gmelin, 1791), Timbellus sixi n. sp., Timbellus curvispina n. sp., Timbellus radulfiensis n. sp., Timbellus submicropterus n. sp., Ponderia remyi n. sp., Pterynotus (Pterymarchia) gaasensis n. sp., P. (Pterymarchia) pelouatensis n. sp., Textiliomurex chodmonensis n. sp., Flexopteron constantinense n. sp., F. liancurtense n. sp., Crassimurex (Pliocrassimurex) hirtus n. subgen., n. sp., Nucellopsis parisiensis n. sp. et Pronucellopsis pacaudi Merle, Ledon & Goret, n. gen., n. sp. Deuxièmement, quatre nouveaux
genres et un nouveau sous-genre sont décrits : Paleochicoreus Merle, n. gen. (espèce type : Chicoreus (Phyllonotus) initialis Vokes, 1990), Beyregrex Merle, n. gen. (espèce type : Murex pereger Beyrich, 1854), Pseudotrophonopsis Merle, n. gen. (espèce type : Buccinum defossum Pilkington, 1804), Pronucellopsis Merle, n. gen. (espèce type : Pronucellopsis pacaudi Merle, Ledon & Goret, n. gen., n. sp.) et Crassimurex (Pliocrassimurex) n. subgen. (espèce type : Crassimurex (Pliocrassimurex) hirtus n. subgen., n. sp.) sont décrits. Troisièmement, se fondant sur une analyse phylogénétique, une nouvelle sousfamille est érigée pour un clade de genres fossiles : Nucellopsinae Merle, n. subfam. (genre type : Nucellopsis Merle, 2005c) incluant Pronucellopsis Merle, n. gen. et Nucellopsis. Enfin sont désignés un néotype pour Murex tripteroides Lamarck, 1822, Murex tricarinatus Lamarck, 1803, ainsi qu’un lectotype pour Murex fusoides Deshayes, 1865 et Murex sandbergeri (Hörnes, 1856).
The neogastropod family Vasidae comprises a small group of Late Eocene to Recent neogastropods with large, often ornate shells. A new, shell-based morphological classification of the family is proposed, in which ten genera are recognized: Altivasum Hedley, 1914, Aristovasum gen. nov. (type species: Turbinella cassiforme Kiener, 1840), Florivasum gen. nov. (type species: Turbinella tubifera Anton, 1838), Globivasum Abbott, 1950 (type species: Turbinella nuttingi Henderson, 1919, but expanded here), Hystrivasum Olsson & Petit, 1964 (type species: Vasum horridum Heilprin, 1887), Rhinovasum gen. nov. (type species: Voluta rhinoceros Gmelin, 1791), Siphovasum Rehder & Abbott, 1951, Tudivasum Rosenberg & Petit, 1987, Vasum Röding, 1798 (here restricted to a reef-associated group of three species typified by Murex turbinellus Linnaeus, 1758), and Volutella Perry, 1810 (here resurrected from synonymy with Vasum, type species Voluta muricata Born, 1778). Biogeographically the Vasidae exhibit a deep divergence between the Atlantic-East Pacific and Indo-West Pacific realms dating to the Early Miocene.
The present paper deals with the distributional range extension of Murex indicus Houart in Breviora 521:1-14 2011, to the eastern coast of India, Bay of Bengal. It has been previously reported from the Arabian Sea, off Gujarat coast and Maharashtra (type localities). The present specimens were collected from Kalingapatnam of Andhra Pradesh. The identification was confirmed after critical verification of protoconch, teleoconch, shell characters and spiral cords. This paper also contains a checklist and distribution of the genus Murex within Indian water.