Bittium densespiratum Báldi, 1966

Bittium densespiratum Báldi, 1966

Figs 9A View FIGURE 9 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2

* Bittium reticulatum densespiratum n. subsp. — Báldi 1966: 87, pl. 2, fig. 3.

Bittium reticulatum densespiratum Báldi, 1966 — Báldi 1973: 262, pl. 29, fig. 6.

Bittium reticulatum densespiratum Báldi, 1966 — Pálfy et al. 2008: 81.

Type material. Holotype M.65.1084, SL: 8.2 mm, MD: 2.8 mm; Hungarian Natural History Museum , Budapest ( Hungary), illustrated in Báldi (1966: pl. 2, fig. 3). Wind brickyard, Eger ( Hungary), Late Oligocene, Egerian, Figs 9A View FIGURE 9 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Revised description. Medium sized, moderately slender shell of more than eight teleoconch whorls with broad varices; apical angle 27°. Protoconch and first teleoconch whorls unknown. Early spire whorls weakly convex, conical. Later teleoconch whorls moderately convex with periphery slightly below mid-whorl. Sculpture on early teleoconch of four weak spiral cords overrunning weak axial ribs, separated by wider interspaces. Number of spiral cords increasing to ten on last spire whorl due to intercalation of secondary spiral cords; secondaries only slightly weaker than primaries on last whorl. Axial ribs weaken abapically. Suture moderately incised. Last whorl strongly constricted attaining about 42% of total height. Base weakly convex with two slightly more prominent peribasal cords and several weaker spiral cords over base and fasciole. Columella almost straight. Columellar callus forming broad rim, sharply delimited from base. Siphonal canal short, slightly deflected to the left. Outer lip not preserved. Two stout denticles placed close behind aperture.

Discussion. This species is characterized by a somewhat irregular appearance of the whorls due to the broad varices, the delicate sculpture and the denticles in the aperture. Bittium lozoueti Van Dingenen, Ceulemans & Landau, 2016 , from the Tortonian and Early Pliocene of France, is superficially similar but is more slender, has more prominent sculpture and lacks denticles in the aperture (see Van Dingenen et al. 2016: pl. 1, figs 11–14; Landau et al., 2018, pl. 8). Similarly, Bittium venustulum ( Millet, 1865) , from the Tortonian of France, has very weak axial sculpture as well but is much more slender (see Landau et al., 2018, pl. 11, figs 1–5). Cerithium taeniagranulosum Lozouet, 1999 , from the Chattian of the Aquitaine Basin in France, is comparable in size, outline, and sculpture on the last whorls, but differs in its prominent axial sculpture on early spire whorls.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the Egerian of the Central Paratethys Sea.

Central Paratethys. Egerian: Hungarian Paleogene Basin: Eger ( Hungary) ( Báldi 1973).