Bittium grinzingense, Harzhauser & Guzhov & Landau, 2025

Bittium grinzingense sp. nov.

Figs 12A–H View FIGURE 12

Cerithium scabrum Olivi— Hörnes 1855 View in CoL (pars): 410 [non Bittium scabrum (Olivi, 1792) View in CoL ].

Bittium spina Partsch— Strausz 1962: 35 , pl. 7, figs 1–2 [non Bittium spina ( Hörnes, 1855) ].

Bittium spina Partsch, 1842 — Strausz 1966: 141, pl. 7, figs 1–2 [non Bittium spina ( Hörnes, 1855) ].

Bittium reticulatum da View in CoL Costa — Csepreghy-Meznerics 1972: 21, pl. 3, fig. 21 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa, 1778)]. Bittium reticulatum View in CoL (Costa, 1779)— Švagrovský 1982: 20, pl. 8, fig. 1 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa, 1778)].

Bittium spina (Partsch in Hörnes, 1856)—Harzhauser 2002: 71, pl. 2, fig. 10 [non Bittium spina ( Hörnes, 1855) ].

Type material. Holotype: NHMW 1869 View Materials /0001/0105, SL: 6.6 mm, MD: 2.1 mm, Baden-Sooss, illustrated in Hörnes (1855: pl. 42, figs 17a–b), Figs 12D View FIGURE 12 1 –D View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . Paratypes: NHMW 2023 View Materials /0056/0001, SL: 6.2 mm, MD: 2.0 mm, Vienna / Grinzing ( Austria) Fig. 12A View FIGURE 12 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0047/0002, SL: 6.2 mm, MD: 1.9 mm, Buituri ( Romania), Fig. 12B View FIGURE 12 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0047/0003, SL: 5.0 mm, MD: 1.6 mm, Buituri ( Romania), Figs 12C View FIGURE 12 1 –C View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0056/0002, SL: 7.2 mm, MD: 2.1 mm, Vienna / Grinzing ( Austria), Figs 12E View FIGURE 12 1 –E View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0056/0003, SL: 7.7 mm, MD: 2.2 mm, Vienna / Grinzing ( Austria), Figs 12F View FIGURE 12 1 –F View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0056/0004, SL: 7.3 mm, MD: 2.3 mm, Vienna / Grinzing ( Austria), Fig. 12G View FIGURE 12 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0056/0005, SL: 7.0 mm, MD: 2.3 mm, Grinzing ( Austria), Figs 12H View FIGURE 12 1 – H View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Additional material.> 100 spec., NHMW 1865 View Materials /0001/0812, Vienna / Grinzing ( Austria) ; 8 spec., NHMW 1874 View Materials /0024/0016, Baden ( Austria) ; 9 spec., NHMW 1865 View Materials /0036/0040, Drnovice u Vyškova ( Czechia) ; 32 spec., NHMW1865 View Materials /0015/0088, Lysice ( Czechia) ; 1 spec. NHMW 2000 View Materials z0001/0059, Obergänserndorf ( Austria) , illustrated on Harzhauser (2002: pl. 2, fig. 10).

Type locality. Baden-Sooss ( Austria) .

Type stratum. Silty clay of the Baden Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. Referring to Grinzing, a district of Vienna. The name was used already by Mathias Auinger (1810– 1890) on collection labels.

Diagnosis. Small, slender conical shell with high conical protoconch of three whorls, convex teleoconch whorls and regular sculpture of four to five spiral cords crossing narrow axial ribs with small, prominent tubercles at intersections, giving somewhat pricky appearance.

Description. Small, slender shell of 10–11 teleoconch whorls, with deep sutures, attaining about 5–7 mm in height; apical angle 21–26°. Protoconch high conical, of about three smooth, convex whorls with faint mid-whorl angulation, faint spiral threads below angulation on last whorl (dp = ~260 μm). Early teleoconch whorls with broad subsutural ramp and two spiral cords with rounded tubercles and weak axial ribs. Later whorls becoming more evenly convex. Two additional tubercular spiral cords appear simultaneously on subsutural ramp on third teleoconch whorl. Abapically tubercles become sharper, giving slightly pricky appearance. Spiral interspaces roughly equal in width to cords; axial interspaces about double width of ribs, forming horizontally rectangular cancellate sculpture. Axial sculpture of ribs largely reduced except from axial arrangement of tubercles and occasional varices, more prominent varix on last whorl. Fifth tubercular spiral cord intercalated between two most adapical cords on late whorls in some specimens. Last whorl attaining about 30–35% of total height, convex. Base strongly constricted with two narrow, close-set peribasal cords and two weaker cords over fasciole. Aperture wide, ovate. Columella broadly excavated. Columellar callus forming thin, narrow rim. Anal canal indistinct. Outer lip thin; prominent varix close behind outer lip. Siphonal canal very short, shallow, wide, slightly deflected to the left.

Discussion. This species was lumped by Hörnes (1855) with several species, which he all treated as Cerithium scabrum . The extant Bittium scabrum (Olivi, 1792) differs distinctly in their larger size, less convex whorls and the rounded as opposed to pointed tubercles. The same features distinguish Bittium tani sp. nov. from B. grinzingense sp. nov. Bittium renauleauense Landau, Ceulemans & Van Dingenen, 2018 , from the Tortonian of France, is superficially similar but has more convex whorls and a less pricky appearance, the tubercles reduced (see Landau et al. 2018: pl. 10).

Paleoenvironment. The occurrences in the Baden Formation (Baden, Möllersdorf) suggest middle to outer neritic environments with up to 210 m water depth ( Kranner et al. 2021). Occurrences at Borský Mikuláš ( Slovakia) point to agitated, shallow sublittoral environments ( Švagrovský 1981).

Distribution. Karpatian (Early Miocene) to Badenian (Middle Miocene) of the Central Paratethys Sea.

Central Paratethys. Karpatian (Early Miocene): Korneuburg Basin: Obergänserndorf Basin ( Austria) (Harzhauser 2002); Badenian (Middle Miocene): Vienna Basin: Baden, Baden-Sooss, Vienna /Grinzing ( Austria) (hoc opus); Borský Mikuláš ( Slovakia) ( Švagrovský 1982); Drnovice u Vyškova, Lysice ( Czechia) (hoc opus); Pannonian Basin: Hidas, Szob ( Strausz 1966); Bükk Mountains: Borsodbóta ( Hungary) ( Csepreghy-Meznerics 1972); Făget Basin: Buituri ( Romania) (hoc opus).