Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990) |
(Pl. 2i): holotype, Boulder Hill, Wangaloan (Auckland Museum) |
Beu & Maxwell (1990): Chapter 5; p. 82; pl. 2 i.
Synonymy: Uber (Euspira) fyfei Marwick 1924d, p. 569; Lunatia fyfei, Beu & Maxwell (1990, p. 82).
Classification: Naticidae: Poliniceinae
Description: Moderately large for family (height 38-55 mm), globose or ovate. Protoconch not known; teleoconch whorls convex, last whorl very large; sutures strongly impressed. No sculpture apart from growth lines. Aperture large, ovate; outer lip almost straight, strongly prosocline. Parietal callus thin; umbilicus open, moderately large, without funicle or callus.
Comparison: Euspira fyfei is distinguished from other New Zealand naticids by its combination of large size, its strongly prosocline outer lip, its strongly impressed suture and its absence of an umbilical callus or funicle. E. lateaperta, also from Boulder Hill (type) and Wangaloa, supposedly differs from E. fyfei in its smaller size, higher spire and wider umbilicus, but it is unlikely to be distinct. The only other New Zealand record of the genus is a doubtful one from Hampden Beach (Bortonian), apart from "Globisinum" elegans (Bortonian-Kaiatan), which was transferred to Euspira (as the synonym Lunatia) by Maxwell (1992, p. 105). Euspira is long-ranging (Cenomanian-Recent) and is recorded from most parts of the world. E. fyfei previously was included in Lunatia, but this was synonymised with Euspira by Kabat (1991).
Distribution: Wangaloan, Boulder Hill (type); Wangaloa (rare at both localities).
Cite this publication as: "A.G. Beu and J.I. Raine (2009). Revised
descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990). GNS
Science miscellaneous series no. 27."
© GNS Science, 2009
ISBN
978-0-478-19705-1
ISSN 1177-2441
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