GNS Science

Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990)

New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca

Genus Zealeda Marwick, 1924



scale

(Pl. 50g): Zealeda inflatella Marwick, 1931; GS 11185, D45/f8822, Slip Point, Clifden Section, Waiau River (Clifdenian)
.


scale

(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
(Included with a PDF facsimile file copy of New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 58 in CD version from: Publications Officer, GNS Science, P.O. Box 30368 Lower Hutt, New Zealand)

References

Back to index page