Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990) |
(Pl. 50g): Zealeda inflatella Marwick, 1931; GS 11185, D45/f8822, Slip Point, Clifden Section, Waiau River (Clifdenian) |
(Pl. 50h): Zealeda inflatella Marwick, 1931; GS 11185, D45/f8822, Slip Point, Clifden Section, Waiau River (Clifdenian) |
Beu & Maxwell (1990): Chapter 17; p. 373; pl. 50 g,h.
Classification: Nuculanidae: Ledellinae
Description: Length 2.3-4.4 mm, stumpy, thick-shelled, with a short, pointed posterior rostrum bounded by a prominent umbonal ridge. Sculpture of commarginal ridges and irregular radial costellae. Hinge relatively heavy with a shallow resilifer. No pallial sinus.
Comparison: Zealeda inopinata (type species of Magaleda Iredale, 1929 (Maxwell 1988a, p.40)) is recorded from depths of 750-2800 m. Zealeda resembles Ledella Verrill & Bush, 1897 in shape and hinge characters, but differs from it and most other nuculanids in having definite radial sculpture.
Distribution: Altonian-Mangapanian, New Zealand; Recent, Australia and Indonesia (Z. inopinata (Smith, 1885)). La Perna et al. (2004) recorded a new species, Z. elegans, from middle Pliocene rocks of Italy, and pointed out that the Recent Atlantic species Ledella postulosa (with four subspecies) seems likely to belong here. Zealeda might well be widely distributed in the deep sea. The fossil species occur in outer shelf or bathyal assemblages.
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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