Pseudolinices, Harzhauser & Landau & Guzhov, 2025

Genus Pseudolinices nov. gen.

Type species. Natica empina De Gregorio, 1885 , Middle Miocene , Central Paratethys Sea .

Etymology. A combination of pseudo - (Greek for false) and Polinices , referring to the confusion with Polinices in the literature; masculine.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized to large, solid, globose-ovate with large last whorl and weakly gradate spire; columella strongly reinforced; parietal callus strongly swollen, fused with very large, flattish umbilical callus; umbilicus fully or largely filled by callus; some species with narrow umbilical chink; calcareous operculum moderately thick; outer surface weakly concave, with weak outer ridge, straight inner margin, smooth. Inners surface weakly convex, smooth except for distinct growth lines, nucleus not protruding; color pattern of large dots, blotches.

Description. See description for type species and additional species included in Pseudolinices herein.

Included species. Natica ( Polinices) proredempta Sacco, 1890 , Burdigalian (Early Miocene), Proto-Mediterranean Sea ( Italy) ( Robba et al. 2016). Natica redempta Michelotti, 1847 , Langhian to Serravallian, northeastern Atlantic ( France, Portugal) ( Glibert 1952a; Landau et al. 2013), Serravallian to Tortonian (Middle to Late Miocene), Proto-Mediterranean Sea ( Italy, Turkey) ( Landau et al. 2013; Robba et al. 2016), Lower Pliocene ( Spain), Atlantic and Mediterranean adjacent to Strait of Gibraltar ( Landau et al., 2011; Landau & Harzhauser, in press). Natica ( Polynices) pseudoredempta Friedberg, 1923 , Karpatian and Badenian (Early and Middle Miocene), Central Paratethys Sea ( Austria, Hungary, Poland) ( hoc opus). Natica ( Polynices) staszici Friedberg, 1923 , Central Paratethys Sea ( Poland, Ukraine) ( hoc opus). Natica empina De Gregorio, 1885 , Karpatian and Badenian (Early and Middle Miocene), Central Paratethys Sea ( Austria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria) ( hoc opus).

Discussion. Members of this genus have so far been placed in the Polinicinae genus Polinices Montfort, 1810 [ type species Polinices albus de Montfort, 1810 [= Polinices mammilla ( Linnaeus, 1758) ], present-day, Indo-West Pacific]. The subfamilies Polinicinae and Naticinae are generally distinguished by the presence of a calcareous operculum in Naticidae whereas Polinicinae develop a corneous operculum ( Kilburn 1976; Marincovich 1977). Although calcareous layers may also occur in Polinicinae , these do not form fully calcified opercula ( Dell 1990; Pastorino 2005). Unexpectedly, Pseudolinices empina bears a solid, calcareous operculum, which questions the traditional placement of these shells in Polinicinae . Rarely do Naticinae specimens found in the Paratethyan assemblages have their operculum preserved in situ. However, the specimen illustrated here was found by our team and therefore the operculum can be ascribed to the specimen with confidence. Once the possibility of this species being in the Naticinae is considered, other differences between a group of European Neogene species traditionally placed in Polinices from the Indo-West Pacific emerge. In addition, we note that Pseudolinices tend to form slightly gradate spires, whereas Polinices have conical spires with a poorly incised suture. The general outline of Pseudolinices ( e.g., P. empina , P. redemptus and especially of P. staszici ) is globose with strongly convex adapical parts of the teleoconch whorls, unlike Polinices species with broad, flat, steep subsutural ramps. Polinices shells are typically glossy, which is not the case in Pseudolinices . Finally, Pseudolinices empina and Pseudolinices redemptus display very prominent color patterns of large dots and blotches, whereas Polinices species have a whitish appearance without color patterns. The color pattern of Pseudolinices is much closer to those developed in Naticinae . Therefore, we propose to place this species group in Naticinae . Pseudolinices seems to be an example of convergent evolution resulting in a Polinices- like morphology within Naticinae . Therefore, most Miocene European Naticidae species placed in Polinices in the literature are transferred to the Naticidae genus Pseudolinices herein. An exception is Natica ( Polinices) submamilla Sacco, 1891 from the Burdigalian of the Colli Torinesi ( Italy), which might be a real Polinices (see Robba et al. 2016: pl. 13, figs 11–14).

The extant cold-water genus Cryptonatica Dall, 1892 [ type species Natica clausa Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829 = Cryptonatica affinis ( Gmelin, 1791) , present-day,Arctic waters] is superficially reminiscent of Pseudolinices but differs in its globular outline, slightly weaker parietal callus, often wider umbilical chink, and the uniform color. Moreover, its cold water environment excludes a closer relation with Pseudolinices , which occurred in subtropical environments.

The operculum found in P. empina differs from other Naticinae genera in being almost completely smooth; the inner ridge is only developed at the base, the outer ridge is very weak, and the central callus is not delimited, whereas in Cochlis the inner and outer ridges and central callus are well developed and in Naticarius there are more numerous ridges (see Pedriali & Robba 2005; pl. 10). Tectonatica species also have a relatively simple operculum with one groove delimited by a more or less wide, flattened peripheral band and no or weak central callus (see Pedriali & Robba 2008; pl. 3), quite unlike that of P. empina . A weak opercular ridge is developed in P. empina and P. staszici , but not P. pseudoredemptus . However, the opercular ridge is not exclusive to Naticinae , as it is also weakly developed in a few Polinicinae ( e.g., Euspira merlei nov. sp. and Figovina szobiensis ( Strausz, 1959) , inter alia).