| Conchatalos spinula | |
|---|---|
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| Shell of Conchatalos spinula (holotype at MNHN, Paris) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Conchatalos |
| Species: | C. spinula |
| Binomial name | |
| Conchatalos spinula Houart & Héros, 2008 | |
Conchatalos spinula is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. [1]
Conchatalos spinula was described as a new species in 2008 by Roland Houart and Virginie Héros. [2] It belongs to the genus Conchatalos , which was established by Houart in 1995 and is placed within the subfamily Trophoninae of the family Muricidae. [3] The genus includes other deep-water species primarily from the southwestern Pacific. The specific epithet spinula refers to the small spines or spinelets on the shell. [2]
The shell of Conchatalos spinula is medium-sized for the genus, attaining a height of 6.6–6.7 mm at maturity. It is biconical in shape, heavy, and weakly spinose. The spire is tall, consisting of 1¼ protoconch whorls and up to 4¼ broad, angulate teleoconch whorls. The suture is adpressed. [2] The protoconch is large and broad, with rounded, smooth whorls and a thin, almost straight terminal lip. The teleoconch axial sculpture features high, broad, spinose or nodose ribs: 8 on the first whorl, 9–10 on the second, and 8 on the third and last whorls, accompanied by numerous growth lamellae. [2] The spiral sculpture is moderately high, comprising primary, secondary, and tertiary cords. On the first whorl, P1 and P2 are visible, with s1 starting; on the second, IP, P1, s1, P2; on the third, adis, IP, abis, P1, s1, P2, and t1b starting; and on the fourth, a more complex arrangement including adis, IP, abis, P1, t1d, s1, t1b, P2, t2d, s2, t2b, P3, t3d, s3, P4, t4d, S4, t4b, P5, ADP, MP, with occasional additional threads. [2] Small knobs and/or open spinelets form at the intersections of primary cords and axial ribs. The aperture is small and almost round, with a narrow, flaring columellar lip that is partially erect and adherent at the adapical extremity, bearing 3 knobs abapically and sometimes a parietal rib adapically. The anal notch is broad and deep, and the outer lip is weakly erect with 4 strong denticles within (D3 occasionally absent). The siphonal canal is short, broad, weakly bent dorsally, and open. [2] The shell color is fleshy white, with a weakly darker protoconch and first teleoconch whorl in some specimens. The operculum has an apical nucleus. The radula is not described in the original publication. [2] C. spinula differs from other species in the genus, such as C. lacrima, C. tirardi, C. canalibrevis, and C. vaubani, by its more nodose or spinose shell, more prominent spiral primary cords, and narrower aperture with conspicuous denticles. [2]
This species is known only from its type locality in Fiji, at coordinates 19°40’S, 178°10’W, in deep water between 314–377 meters. [2] It inhabits deep-sea benthic environments in the tropical southwestern Pacific. [1]
Media related to Conchatalos spinula at Wikimedia Commons