Cochlis eximia ( Eichwald, 1830 ), 2025

Cochlis eximia ( Eichwald, 1830) nov. comb.

Figs 6–8 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8

* N [ atica]. eximia m.— Eichwald 1830: 218.

Natica glaucina Lin.— Dubois de Montpéreux 1831: 44 , pl. 3, figs 42, 43 [ non Natica glaucina Linnaeus, 1758 , nomen dubium].

Natica glaucinoides Sow.—Pusch 1836: 544 View in CoL [ non Euspira glaucinoides (J. Sowerby, 1812) View in CoL ].

Natica glaucinoides Sow.—Pusch 1837: 100 View in CoL , pl. 9, fig. 14 [ non Euspira glaucinoides (J. Sowerby, 1812) View in CoL ].

[ Natica View in CoL ] exinia [ sic]— Hauer 1837: 421.

Natica eximia View in CoL — Eichwald 1840: 9.

Nat [ ica]. eximia View in CoL m.— Eichwald 1851: 123, pl. 10, fig. 42.

Natica eximia View in CoL — Eichwald 1852: pl. 10, fig. 42.

Nat [ ica]. eximia View in CoL m.— Eichwald 1853: 254.

Natica Staszici Friedb. View in CoL var. revoluta mihi– Friedberg 1923: 436 ( pars), pl. 26, fig. 10, text-fig. 79 [not fig. 11 = Cochlis sp. ].

Natica millepunctata Lmk.— Liwerowskaja 1935: 24 View in CoL , pl. 2, fig. 20 [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

[ Natica Staszici Friedb. View in CoL ] var. revoluta Friedb.— Friedberg 1938: 66 .

Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL — Volkova 1955: 36 ( pars), pl. 16, fig. 11 [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

? Polinices ( Euspira) catena var. helicina ( Brocchi 1814) —Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960: 120, pl. 33, fig. 10 [ non Euspira helicina ( Brocchi, 1814) View in CoL ].

Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL — Strausz 1966: 225 ( pars), pl. 48, figs 6–8 [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

Polinices staszici var. revoluta ( Friedberg, 1923) — Zelinskaya et al. 1968: 177, pl. 42, fig. 3.

Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL — Volkova 1974: 93 ( pars), pl. 15, fig. 11 [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

Natica ( Nacca) tigrina sartaganica Zhg. subsp. nov. — Zhgenti 1981: 133, pl. 9, figs 1–7.

Natica ( Nacca) millepunctata Lmck.— Zhgenti 1981: 157 View in CoL , pl. 9, figs 8–9. [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

Natica millepunctata Linné— Zhgenti 1991: 72 View in CoL , pl. 41, fig. 9. [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

Natica ( Nacca) millepunctata tigrina Defrance— Zhgenti 1981: 72 View in CoL , pl. 42, figs 2–5 [not fig. 6–? Pseudolinices sp. ].

Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL — Iljina 1993: 58, pl. 6, figs 12–14 [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

Cochlis millepunctata ( Lamarck, 1822) — Ilgar 2015: 69, fig. 5B9 [ non Natica millepunctata Lamarck, 1822 View in CoL = Naticarius stercusmuscarum ( Gmelin, 1791) View in CoL ].

Cochlis odovychenorum View in CoL sp. nov. — Pedriali et al. 2019: 162 View Cited Treatment , figs 23.1−13.

Type material. Lectotype (designated herein), SPSU 3 /459, SL: 33 mm, MD: 34.5 mm, Zalistsi , Ukraine, Middle Miocene, late Badenian, Figs 6A View FIGURE 6 1 –A View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . Paralectotypes: SPSU 3 /455, SL: 24.2 mm, MD: 23.2 mm, Zhukivtsi ( Ukraine), late Badenian, Figs 6B View FIGURE 6 1 –B View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . SPSU 3 /457, Staryi Pochaiv ( Ukraine), late Badenian. SPSU 3 /461, Zalistsi ( Ukraine), late Badenian. SPSU 3 / 463, three juvenile shells, Tarnoruda ( Ukraine), late Badenian . SPSU 3 /462, Zalistsi ( Ukraine), late Badenian (determination of this specimen is not clear, due to the poor preservation).

Syntypes of Natica eximia Eichwald, 1830 , referring to other species: SPSU 3/458, SL: 31.4 mm, MD: 30.6 mm, Zalistsi ( Ukraine), late Badenian ( Figs 32D View FIGURE 32 1 –D View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 ) to Pseudolinices staszici ( Friedberg, 1923) and SPSU 3/461, Zalistsi ( Ukraine), late Badenian, to Cochlis ukrainensis Pedriali Sosso & Dell’Angelo, 2019. The operculum SPSU 3/456 from Zhukivtsi ( Ukraine), probably illustrated by Eichwald (1852), is a further syntype and is treated herein as? Cochlis sp. , Figs 8C View FIGURE 8 1 –C View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 .

Illustrated material. MPUM 11725, SL: 40.1 mm, MD: 42.5 mm, Varivtsi ( Ukraine), holotype of Cochlis odovychenorum Pedriali, Sosso & Dell’Angelo, 2019 , illustrated in Pedriali et al. (2019: fig. 23.1), Figs 7D View FIGURE 7 1 –D View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . PIN 5904/118, SL: 38 mm, MD: 37.6 mm, Varivtsi, Ukraine, Middle Miocene, late Badenian, Figs 6D View FIGURE 6 1 –D View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . PIN 5904/119, SL: 33.5 mm, MD: 32.9 mm, Varivtsi, Ukraine, Middle Miocene, late Badenian, Figs 6C View FIGURE 6 1 –C View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . 5904/120, Varivtsi, Ukraine, Middle Miocene, late Badenian, Fig. 8D View FIGURE 8 . NHMW 2024/0231/0002, SL: 39.0 mm, MD: 38.0 mm, Weitendorf ( Austria), Figs 8A View FIGURE 8 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . Private collection Franz Jiranek, SL: 36.5 mm, MD: 38.5 mm, Weitendorf ( Austria), Figs 8B View FIGURE 8 1 –B View FIGURE 1 5 View FIGURE 5 . PIN 4450/136, SL: 23.8 mm, MD: 22.8 mm, Privol’nyi, Stavropol Krai, Russia, Middle Miocene, late Konkian, Figs 7A View FIGURE 7 1 –A View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . PIN 4450/137, SL: 19.3 mm, MD: 19.8 mm, Privol’nyi, Russia, Middle Miocene, late Konkian, Figs 7B View FIGURE 7 1 –B View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 . PIN 4450/138, SL: 18.7 mm, MD: 18.7 mm, well Molakuduk, Kazakhstan, Middle Miocene, late Konkian, Figs 7C View FIGURE 7 1 –C View FIGURE 1 4 View FIGURE 4 .

Revised description. Large, robust, globose shell of ~3.5 teleoconch whorls; varying from slightly wider than high to slightly higher than wide ( SL /MD = ~1). Protoconch poorly preserved, of about 1.3 smooth, convex whorls. Spire depressed conical to weakly elevated, low turbiniform; apical angle 108–140°. Suture linear, adpressed to weakly incised. Teleoconch whorls with narrow, weakly convex subsutural shelf, becoming wider and weakly concave close to aperture. Shoulder angulation subobsolete. Last whorl strongly expanding, strongly convex, attaining ~93–95% of total height. Periphery placed just below mid-whorl (~45%). Growth lines prominent and weakly prosocyrt in apical view close to adapical suture; delicate, moderately prosocline at periphery. Aperture wide, D-shaped, prosocline. Position of adapical tip of aperture high (~85%), distinctly above mid-whorl. Aperture attaining ~76–85% of total height. Columellar lip moderately broad, strongly reinforced; basal lip slightly expanded, outer lip thin. Columellar angle ~16–32°. Opercular ridge in outer lip weak. Umbilicus moderately narrow (~14– 18%), relatively shallow with prominent growth lines. Parietal callus long (~45–52%), thickened, commonly with concave margin, rarely with straight margin, not expanding over base. Anterior lobe of parietal callus thin, trigonal. Funicle broad and low, with concave abapical sulcus, delimited by broad spiral swelling. Funicle terminating in abapical third of columellar lip in variable narrowed elongate triangular umbilical callus, adapically fused via broad callus with anterior lobe of parietal callus. Prominent basal fasciole, weakly angled. Color pattern variable: late Badenian lectotype from Ukraine with uniformly pale brownish surface (as); Konkian shells from Privol’nyi and Agara with spirally elongated blotches; middle Badenian specimens from Styrian Basin with very large, spirally elongated, close-set dark blotches, with sharply defined adapertural margin, fading in abapertural direction, causing broad, brushstroke like pattern. Blotches roughly spirally arranged. Operculum moderately thick. Inner margin straight, with obscure transverse wrinkles; tubercles present in a few specimens. Inner surface flatly convex, nucleus scarcely protruding. Outer surface slightly concave at level of nucleus; central callus prominent to flat, tongue shaped, not reaching half-height of operculum. Marginal area gently sloping inward, with 2 marginal grooves and 2 ridges. Outer groove narrow, inner groove a deeper and wider asymmetrical depression. Outer ridge thin, sharp; inner ridge massive, round to flat-topped, markedly wider than outer one ( Pedriali et al. 2019: 164).

Paratethyan synonyms. Natica ( Polynices) staszici var. revoluta Friedberg, 1923 was based on several syntypes, which were partly illustrated by Friedberg (1923). Friedberg (1923) emphasized the wide and open umbilicus and the somewhat evolute appearance of the whorls. Herein, we designate the specimen illustrated in Friedberg (1923: pl. 26, fig. 10), from Oles’ko ( Ukraine), as lectotype. As we consider this specimen to be conspecific with Cochlis eximia ( Eichwald, 1830) , Cochlis revoluta becomes a subjective junior synonym of Cochlis eximia . Robba et al. (2016: 199) suggested a placement of Natica ( Polynices) staszici var. revoluta Friedberg, 1923 in Euspira , which is rejected herein. Natica ( Nacca) tigrina sartaganica Zhgenti, 1981 , from the Konkian of Georgia, and Cochlis odovychenorum Pedriali, Sosso & Dell’Angelo, 2019 are subjective junior synonyms of Cochlis eximia ( Eichwald, 1830) .

Discussion. Cochlis eximia ( Eichwald, 1830) is one of the most common and most widespread naticid species in the Fore-Carpathian Basin during the late Badenian. It is characterized by its wide variability expressed in variations of callosity of the inner lip and shell proportions. The shell is typically as high as wide, but shells being slightly wider than high or higher than wide also occur. The variability of the callosity of the inner lip is expressed by the width of the columellar callus and the thickness of the parietal callus. Specimens with thin parietal callus, forming a concave rim and a narrow columellar callus represent the most common morph, to which the lectotype belongs. Shells with more constricted columellar callus, making the funicle more visible, also occur ( e.g., paralectotype 3/455). Specimens with thickened parietal callus that forms a straight rim and broad, slightly abapically narrowed columellar callus occur as well. Shells with expanded callosity may rarely co-occur with typical shells. Cochlis eximia with expanded callosity are reminiscent of Pseudolinices staszici ( Friedberg, 1923) with strongly constricted callosity, especially when they co-occur. Such specimens differ in their triangle-like, abapically narrowed columellar callus, sometimes with lobe-like margin in contrast to the roundly curved columellar callus with even rim, which gradually sinks into the umbilicus in P. staszici .

Konkian specimens from the Eastern Paratethys differ in their smaller size and the slightly narrower umbilicus. These specimens might represent a dwarfed population of C. eximia or a closely related Eastern Paratethyan species.

Cochlis eximia is characterized by its large size, strongly convex whorls and low funicle. Cochlis cuniculata nov. sp. is much smaller and has a wider and deeper umbilicus with an even lower funicle and its color pattern consists of much smaller dots. Cochlis depressofuniculata ( Sacco, 1891) , from the Pliocene of Italy, also has large blotches but differs in its narrow, cord-like funicle, less expanding last whorl and smaller size (see Pedriali & Robba 2005: pl. 1, figs 1–8, pl. 9, figs 1–2). Cochlis fulgurata (Meneghini in Pecchioli, 1864), from the Pliocene of Italy, is very similar in shell shape but differs in its wider umbilicus with broader and more prominent funicle and has a color pattern of interrupted axially oriented zig-zag stripes ( Pedriali & Robba 2005: pl. 1, figs 9–18, pl. 2, figs 1–5; Chirli 2008: pl. 20, figs 11–17, pl. 21, figs 1–7). A specimen from the Dacian Basin, illustrated by Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov (1960: pl. 33, fig. 10) as Polinices ( Euspira) catena helicina is reminiscent of C. eximia but is rather small. We have not seen the Bulgarian specimen to decide on its identity.

Eichwald (1852: pl. 10, figs 42c–d) described and illustrated an operculum from the late Badenian of Zhukivtsi ( Ukraine), which he identified as Natica eximia View in CoL due to its size. However, this operculum has not been found in situ and its identification is doubtful. The operculum is moderately thick; its inner margin is straight. The inner surface has prominent growth lines with scarcely protruding nucleus. The outer surface is slightly concave and the marginal area has two subequal marginal grooves and two subequal ridges.

Paleoenvironment. Shallow marine, inner neritic.

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (Middle Miocene): Styrian Basin: Weitendorf ( Austria) ( hoc opus); Pannonian Basin: Szob, Várpalota ( Hungary) ( Strausz 1966);? Dacian Basin: Dobrusha ( Bulgaria) (Kojumdgieva in Kojumdgieva & Strachimirov 1960). Late Badenian (Middle Miocene): Polish-Ukrainian Fore-Carpathian Basin: Gorodok, Gryts’kiv, Lisogirka, Stara Pisochna, Tarnoruda, Varivtsi (Khmel’nytskyi Region), Oles’ko, Pidgirtsi ( Lviv Region), Mala Bilka, Rydomyl’, Shushkivtsi, Staryi Pochaiv, Velyka Bilka, ravine Zhabyak near Dzvynyacha, Zalistsi, Zhukivtsi ( Ternopil Region) ( Ukraine) ( Eichwald 1853; Friedberg 1923; hoc opus); Moldavian Platform: Bursuc ( Moldova) ( hoc opus).

Eastern Paratethys. Late Konkian (Late Miocene): Ciscaucasia : ravines Chumnaya and Slesareva Levada ( Adygea), Privol’nyi(=so named Mount Dubrovaya) ( Stavropol Krai, Russia) ( Iljina 1993, hoc opus); Transcaucasia : Agara ( Georgia) ( Zhgenti 1981); Central Pontide Foreland Basin: Sinop region ( Turkey) ( Ilgar 2015); Transcaspian Region: ravine Kiyandy, well Molakuduk (Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan) ( hoc opus).