Conus ictini

Conus (Lautoconus) ictini (Psarras, Merle & Koskeridou, 2022)

Shell description

Moderately small to medium-sized (H. max: 42.68 mm), oval to olive-like shells, with smooth spire whorls. Spire conical, smooth, slightly elevated in some specimens. Early spire whorls coeloconoid in outline, individual sutural ramps straight to slightly convex. Late spire whorls convex, with straight outline. Suture incised. Subsutural flexure shallow, moderately curved, moderately asymmetrical (Fig. 40B). Shoulder rounded to slightly angulated. Maximum diameter right below shoulder. Last whorl elongated, smooth. Spiral cords on anterior part of last whorl. Fasciole twisted distinct, swollen ⁽²⁾.

Description of colour pattern

The residual colour of the last whorls consists of three levels of colouration. The first vivid colouration is made up of horizontally arranged, densely packed, evenly spaced, continuous spiral lines and vertical to diagonal, narrow, short lines that connect the spiral lines, creating a bricked-wall-like pattern. This pattern is faded in many parts of the shell (Fig. 4B). Under natural light, though, the colour pattern is visible even without the help of UV light on the holotype as parallel, closely arranged lines (Fig. 4A1, A3). A second level of colour consists of fluorescent blotches on the last whorl and irregular flammulae on the spire whorls. The fluorescent blotches are often filling the rectangular areas between the spiral lines of the first level of colour (Fig. 4C–D). The third level consists of a non-fluorescent pattern bearing irregular blotches that overlaps the other patterns ⁽²⁾.

Etymology

Name taken after Ictinus, one of the two architects of the Parthenon ⁽²⁾.

Remarks

Morphologically, this species is very similar to Conus (Lautoconus) pelagicus Brocchi, 1814. It differs slightly in the smoother spire whorls and a more inflated appearance. The occurrence of this morphotype, at multiple localities and ages (Serravallian, Turkey (Landau et al. 2013) and Tortonian, Greece (this work)), is evidence for the existence of a separate species. Conus (Lautoconus) ictini sp. nov. has a distinct brick-like colour pattern, making it possible to distinguish it safely from other species under UV light.

Conus (Lautoconus) eschewegi (Landau et al. 2013: pl. 82 fig. 1a–b, see Remarks above) displays multiple spiral dots and dashes, while Conus (Lautoconus) ictini sp. nov. bears multiple continuous spiral lines and vertical brick-like patterns. The colour pattern of Conus (Lautoconus) ictini sp. nov. is very similar to that of the extant Conus (Quasiconus) melvilli Sowerby, 1879, a species inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula (Moolenbeek & Coomans 1993) ⁽²⁾.