Bittium krenni, Harzhauser & Guzhov & Landau, 2025

Bittium krenni sp. nov.

Figs 14A–D View FIGURE 14

Cerithium scabrum Olivi— Hörnes 1855: 410 View in CoL (pars) [non Bittium scabrum (Olivi 1792) View in CoL ]. Bittium reticulatum da View in CoL Costa — Friedberg 1914: 302, pl. 18, fig. 11 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa, 1778)]. Bittium reticulatum View in CoL Costa, 1779— Strausz 1955: 76, 201, pl. 9, figs 164, 166 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa, 1778)]. Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ex. gr. ssp. reticulatum View in CoL (Da Costa)— Seneš 1955: 96, pl. 9, figs 1–7 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa,

1778)]. Bittium reticulatum View in CoL Costa — Strausz 1962: 35, pl. 6, fig. 20 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa, 1778)]. Bittium reticulatum View in CoL Costa, 1779— Strausz 1966: 140, pl. 6, fig. 20 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa, 1778)]. Bittium (Bittium) spina (Partsch) — Rado 1971: 177, pl. 3, figs 71, 75, 77, 87 [non Argyropeza spina ( Hörnes, 1855) ]. Bittium (Bittium) reticulatum View in CoL (da Costa, 1779)— Turek & Hladilová 2019: 62, fig. 4/1 [non Bittium reticulatum View in CoL ( da Costa,

1778)].

Type material. Holotype, NHMW 2023 View Materials /0043/0008, SL: 6.7 mm, MD: 2.0 mm, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania), Fig. 14A View FIGURE 14 . Paratype, NHMW 2023 View Materials /0043/0009 SL: 7.3 mm, MD: 2.3 mm, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania), Figs 14B View FIGURE 14 1 –B View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0043/0010, SL: 5.0 mm, MD: 1.9 mm, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania), Figs 14C View FIGURE 14 1 –C View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . NHMW 2023 View Materials /0043/0011, SL: 4.2 mm, MD: 1.6 mm, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania), Figs 14D View FIGURE 14 1 –D View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Additional material. 2100 spec., 1867/0019/0192, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania); 1230 spec., NHMW 2018/024870179, Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania).

Type locality. Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania), Făget Basin .

Type stratum. Silt and clay of the Dej Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, early/middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. In honor of Martin Krenn, head of the Archive for the History of Science at the NHMW.

Diagnosis. Small, slender conical shell with paucispiral protoconch of a single convex whorl, prominent varices developed along last five teleoconch whorls, and characteristic sculpture of small, rounded tubercles on spiral cords, which increase in number during ontogeny from three to five by subsequent intercalation of spiral cords between adapical two cords.

Description. Small, slender conical shell of ten teleoconch whorls, attaining ~ 7.3 mm in height; apical angle ~22–27°. Paucispiral protoconch of one smooth, convex whorl (dp = ~180 μm). Early teleoconch whorls low, initially with two prominent, raised, beaded spiral cords. On second whorl third cord appears below suture, rapidly strengthening abapically to be equal in strength to other cords. Second to fourth teleoconch whorl with three spiral cords overriding axial ribs separated by interspace of about equal width. Intersections with small, prominent, rounded tubercles. Fourth spiral cord intercalated between adapical two spirals on fifth teleoconch whorl. Fifth spiral cord appears on last two whorls, again intercalated between adapical two cords: all cords with small tubercles at intersections. Whorl profile of early spire whorls straight sided, becoming weakly convex with periphery in abapical third on last three whorls. Suture deeply incised. Strong varices appear around fifth teleoconch whorl (2–3 varices per whorl). Varices roughly axially arranged across teleoconch with variable offset. Last whorl attaining about 40% of total height. Transition into strongly constricted convex base with two prominent peribasal spiral cords; three further cords over fasciole. Aperture ovoid. Columella excavated. Columellar callus forming thin, narrow rim, sharply delimited from base. Anal canal indistinct. Outer lip thin. Siphonal canal short, wide, slightly deflected to the left.

Discussion. This species is unique with the Paratethyan Bittiinae in the mode of formation of its spiral cords; two cords at the teleoconch boundary, next cord appearing just below the suture on the second teleoconch whorl, but subsequent two cords intercalated between primaries 1 and 2. All cords rapidly strengthening to become subequal. This results in sculpture of close set, but prominent, cords with small, rounded tubercles developed at intersections on all cords. In addition, the strong varices cause a somewhat irregular shape. Fully grown specimens are exceptionally rare and most available specimens are juveniles lacking the last two whorls. All shells in the literature, treated here as Bittium krenni sp. nov. are also subadult or fragmented specimens. This might have been the reason why B. krenni was overlooked so far. This species was confused with Bittium reticulatum ( da Costa 1778), which differs distinctly in its more regular sculpture of larger beads and has only four spiral cords. Moreover, B. reticulatum has a multispiral protoconch. Bittium tani sp. nov., with which Bittium krenni was mixed in the collections of the NHMW, is much larger, has straight sided whorls and bears four tubercular spiral cords. Spire fragments of Bittium krenni are reminiscent of Bittium pingue Landau, Ceulemans & Van Dingenen, 2018 , from the Tortonian of France), which is larger, has more rounded tubercles, and weaker varices (see Landau et al. 2018: pl. 9).

Paleoenvironment. Unknown.

Distribution. Bittium krenni is documented from various localities of the middle and late Badenian of the Central Paratethys Sea. This species was confused with Bittium tani sp. nov. Therefore, it is difficult to reconstruct its distribution from literature data.

Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Polish-Ukrainian Fore-Carpathian Basin: Zboriv (Ternopil Region, Ukraine) ( Friedberg 1914); Vienna Basin: Mušlov ( Czechia) ( Turek & Hladilová 2019); Pannonian Basin: Várpalota ( Hungary) ( Strausz 1966); Eastern Slovakian Basin: Varhaňovce ( Slovakia) ( Seneš 1955); Făget Basin: Coşteiu de Sus ( Romania); Beiuş Basin: Valeo Stracoş ( Romania) ( Rado 1971).