Conus Monteiroconus sp. 1

Conus (Monteiroconus) sp.1 (Psarras*, Merle, Antonarakou & Efterpi, 2023)

Descrizione e caratteristiche:

Stratigraphic range - Upper Miocene of Proto-Mediterranean: Messara Basin (Kasteliana Formation) and Sitia Basin (Achladhia Formation) (Crete, Greece) ⁽²⁾.

Shell description - Medium-sized shell. Early spire whorls convex, with low conical to concave outline. Later spire whorls straight to slightly concave, creating a straight, conical to concave outline. Two spiral grooves on last and penultimate spire whorls. Suture channelled. Subsutural flexure shallow, moderately curved, moderately asymmetrical. Shoulder angulated, with maximum diameter below shoulder. Last whorl straight on anterior half to slightly round on posterior half, resulting in a slightly convex profile. Aperture narrow, straight, widening slightly on canal. Fasciole small, twisted. Dense spiral grooves on anterior third of the body whorl. Colour pattern description - The non-fluorescent base colour is seen as deep blue under UV light. The colour pattern on the spire consists of wide flammulae. The colour pattern on the body whorl consists of one pattern of very densely packed, axially arranged, fluorescent spiral dashes of subquadrate shape. The dashes are united axially, creating zig-zag stripes. The stripes can merge with others and can be discontinued, disrupted by non-fluorescent spiral bands dashed lines. Sparse spiral dashes of subquadrate shape might exist on those non-fluorescent bands. On the shoulder, a non-fluorescent line divides the colour pattern of the spire from the last whorl ⁽²⁾.

This species is rather similar to the fossil species Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879) in the overall morphology of the shell and the colour pattern ⁽²⁾. The main differences between the two species are the presence of spiral grooves on the last two spire whorls, as well as the dense spiral grooves on 1/3 anterior part of the body whorl on Conus (Monteiroconus) sp. 1. Furthermore, the pattern of Conus (Kalloconus) neumayri consists of blotches, while the pattern of Conus (Monteiroconus) sp. 1 consists of axially united spiral subquadrate dashes ⁽²⁾.