Lepidochitona tarbelliana, Dell'Angelo, Lesport, Cluzaud & Sosso, 2020

Dell’Angelo, Bruno, Sosso, Maurizio & Taviani, Marco, 2025, The Cenozoic European Polyplacophora (Mollusca), Zootaxa 5704 (1), pp. 1-377 : 235-236

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5704.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:747DFE8B-156A-493A-8817-5F861C4D6319
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FEF726-FF05-4EFB-0FAD-FE6C6B599604
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lepidochitona tarbelliana
status

Treatment

Lepidochitona tarbelliana View in CoL Dell’Angelo, Lesport, Cluzaud & Sosso, 2020

Fig. 121 View FIGURE 121

Lepidochitona tarbelliana View in CoL Dell’Angelo, Lesport, Cluzaud & Sosso, 2020b, p. 19, figs 12–13.

Type material. Holotype MHNBx 2020.2.4, intermediate valve, width 3.2 mm, Figs 121G–I View FIGURE 121 . Paratypes: MHNBx 2020.1.2, head valve; MHNBx 2020.2.5, tail valve, Figs 121J–L View FIGURE 121 .

Type locality. Gaas , Larrat ( France) .

Type stage. Oligocene (Rupelian).

Material examined. Oligocene (Rupelian): Gaas: type material plus MHNBx Benoist collection (MHNBx 2014.14.23.1–2014.14.23.4, labeled Tonicia gaasensis , Figs 121A–C View FIGURE 121 ); Rupelian levels: 17 valves ( BD 943 ); Espibos: 8 valves ( AC, DA); Lagouarde: 2 valves ( AC); Larrat: 323 valves ( AC, DA, JCV, MHNBx 2020.1.2, MHNBx 2020.2.4 – 2020.2.5, MHNBx 2020.1.8, Figs 121D–F View FIGURE 121 ). Maximum width of the valves: 2.6 / 4.2 / 2.6 mm .

Description. Head valve semicircular, elevated, some radial fold may be present, slope slightly convex. Intermediate valve broadly rectangular (W/L = 1.83–2.26), semicarinate in anterior profile, moderately elevated (H/W = 0.39–0.47), anterior margin straight, lateral margins slightly rounded, posterior margin slightly concave at both sides of prominent apex, lateral areas separated from central area by a diagonal fold. Tail valve triangular (W/L = 1.33–1.38), anterior margin straight, mucro subcentral, antemucronal and postmucronal slopes straight, almost aligned.

Tegmentum entirely covered by irregularly arranged, elevated, roundish granules, some coalescent, diameter up to 100 μm in head valve, tending to be more oval near anterior margin, 126 μm in intermediate valves, 100 μm in tail ones; each granule with a subcentral megalaesthete, and up to 10 micraesthetes arranged irregularly along margin, additional micraesthetes randomly placed between granules.

Articulamentum with large apophyses, slit formula 9 / 2 / 9, slit rays clearly visible.

Remarks. The four valves from the Benoist collection at MHNBx (from MHNBx 2014.14.23.1 to MHNBx 2014.14.23.4), labeled Tonicia gaasensis de Rochebrune, 1882 , have been considered conspecific to Lepidochitona tarbelliana Dell’Angelo, Lesport, Cluzaud & Sosso, 2020 by Dell’Angelo et al. (2020b).

Comparisons. This species has larger granules than those of Lepidochitona oligocaena ( Rolle, 1862) and L. reussi ( Rolle, 1862) , the tail valves, similar to those of L. reussi , differ, in fact, for their shape (W/L = 1.33–1.38 vs. 1.60–2.06 of L. reussi ) and in the frontal view of the valves.

Distribution. Lower Oligocene: northeastern Atlantic (Rupelian): Aquitaine Basin, France: Gaas ( Dell’Angelo et al. 2020b).