Conus herodus

Conilithes herodus (Psarras & Koskeridou & Merle,2021)

Description:

Small-sized and elongate shells. Protoconch not preserved. Spire with a maximum of ten spire whorls, high, conical with flat sutural ramp in early whorls, slightly concave in later spire whorls. Carina subangulated to angulated, with tubercles visible on early spire whorls, sometimes visible until 8th spire whorl. Subsutural flexure shallow, strongly curved, strongly to moderately asymmetrical. No spiral grooves below carina. Last whorl elongated, conical. Aperture straight, narrow, widening towards twisted fasciole. Growth lines not prominent, with spiral grooves visible on the anterior part of the shell, towards the anterior part of the last whorl ⁽¹⁾.

DESCRIPTION OF COLOUR PATTERN

The colour pattern of the spire whorls consists of thin, axial or irregular fluorescent lines, engulfing angular or irregularly oval, non-fluorescent blotches on carina. On the body of the shell, two spirally arranged, wide, fluorescent bands exist, usually disrupted by a non-fluorescent band, with fluorescent blotches or dots. In most cases, the blotches create arrow like patterns. Tiny lines of bright fluorescent dots are on the wide fluorescent bands and sometimes on the non-fluorescent base colour, also surrounded by fine thin, continuous, bright fluorescent spiral lines ⁽¹⁾.

REMARKS

The specimens described herein possess a subangulated to angulated shoulder, revealing a slight morphological variability. The colour pattern on the spire whorls is the most distinguishing character that separates it from the rest of the Conilithes species. The shell of this species is similar to Conilithes brezinae , but none possesses spiral cords below carina, as some Conilithes brezinae specimens do. The colour pattern is different, bearing blotches on spire whorls, two fluorescent bands and one non-fluorescent band in the middle of the last whorl. The similarity in colour pattern on the rest of the shell, bearing lines of dots and continuous spiral lines, suggests a close relation between the species.

This species is also morphologically similar to Conilithes sceptophorus (Boettger, 1887) , but it differs in its pattern described, consisted of axial zig-zag stripes ( Harzhauser & Landau 2016). It differs from Conilithes allioni ( Michelotti, 1847) in the more elongated spire, and from Conilithes eichwaldi Harzhauser & Landau, 2016 in the smooth shoulder, being more angulated on the Cretan specimens.