Volutopsius gracilis Mclean & Clark 2023, n. sp.

• Main Authors: Mclean, James H., Clark, Roger N.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Mollusca; Gastropoda; Neogastropoda; Buccinidae; Volutopsius; Volutopsius gracilis; Kodiak; Alaska
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/8399640; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8399640

Volutopsius gracilis n. sp. Figure 19 D–E urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 58A8BD6B-DF20-4AF2-BCB9-5296AA4DEF48 Type locality: E of Shumagin Islands, Aleutian Ids., Alaska (55°42.75 N, 158°52.65W); 97 m. (NMFS 143-2015 - 1-62). Type material: Holotype: LACM 3589; Paratypes: Pt 1, LACM 3604, 142.1 mm. N of Unimak Island (56°41.06 N, 165°51 W), 80 m (ex - Rae Baxter, LACM 1984-106 105.5 mm); Pt 2, SBMNH 169016, 103 mm. Wide Bay, S side of Alaska Peninsula (57°11.13 N, 156°07.03 W), 91 m (NMFS 147-200301 - 125); Pt 3, RNC 5031, 86.5 mm. W of Trinity Islands SW of Kodiak Island (56°41.56 N, 152°54.96 W), 71 m (94-200901-183). Referred material: RNC 4505, 90.2 mm. Unimak Pass, N of Akun Island (54°21.19 N, 165°35.51 W), 146 m (94-199401-9); RNC 4858, 108 mm. W of Trinity Islands SW of Kodiak Island (56°41.56 N, 152°54.96 W), 71 m (94-200901-183). Description: Shell large for genus (to 142 mm; LACM 84–106.5), elongated; whorls sub-angulate; cream to light brown, with very thin tan periostracum. Protoconch smooth, with 1.5 whorls; teleconch with 3.5 whorls; axial sculpture variable, smooth or irregularly wrinkled; spiral sculpture usually lacking, but may have 5–8 faint spiral cords at mid-whorl. Aperture slightly more than half of shell height; canal short, narrow. Operculum less than half of aperture height, nucleus terminal. Radula: Typical for genus, lateral teeth with two large, curved cusps; rachidian tooth with seven cusps, outer cusps much larger than, inner ones, five inner cusps small, slender, of unequal length, equally spaced. Remarks: Kantor (1990) reviewed the Volutopsiinae, and concluded that Volutopsius stefanssoni Dall, 1919 (figs H–J) (along with what appears to be V. gracilis) was synonymous with Volutopsius castaneus (Mörch, 1857) (figs. 19 F–G), however Kessler (1985) had previously demonstrated that the two were distinct. Kantor also considered Volutopsius simplex Dall, 1907 (fig 19 J) to be a variety of V. castaneus, but morphologically it appears to be a smooth, round-shouldered form of V. stefanssoni. ...