Thericium basilicum, Harzhauser & Guzhov & Landau, 2025

Thericium basilicum sp. nov.

Figs 44A–E View FIGURE 44

Cerithium cf. dzieduszyckii Fried., 1914 — Yanakevich 1980: 103, pl. 17, fig. 1 [non Thericium dzieduszyckii ( Friedberg, 1914) ].

Cerithium dzieduszyckii Friedberg, 1914 — Yanakevich 1987: 45, pl. 2, fig. 15 [non Thericium dzieduszyckii ( Friedberg, 1914) ].

Type material. Holotype PIN 5904 View Materials /74, SL: 36.2 mm, MD: 12.9 mm, Figs 44A View FIGURE 44 1 –A View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . Paratypes: PIN 5904 View Materials /75, SL: 34.8 mm, MD: 10.5 mm, Figs 44B View FIGURE 44 1 –B View FIGURE 1 2 View FIGURE 2 . PIN 5904 View Materials /76, SL: 42.3 mm, MD: 13.1 mm, Fig. 44C View FIGURE 44 . PIN 5904 View Materials /77, SL: 41 mm, MD: 12.1 mm, Fig. 44D View FIGURE 44 . PIN 5904 View Materials /74, SL: 35 mm, MD: 12.8 mm, Fig. 44E View FIGURE 44 .

Type locality. Bursuc ( Moldova), Moldavian Platform .

Type stratum. Clayey sand.

Age. Middle Miocene, latest Badenian (Serravallian).

Etymology. After Latin basilicus —magnificent.

Diagnosis. Large sized, slender to moderately slender shells, with straight-sided late whorls without angled periphery, with three wide-spaced spiral cords and narrow, concave subsutural ramp; close-set, weak axial sculpture, with small, slightly pointed tubercles on cords; aperture elongate-ovate, with well-developed anal and siphonal canals.

Description. Large sized, slender to moderately slender shell with weakly cyrtoconoid spire of at least 14 teleoconch whorls, attaining 35–43 mm in height. Protoconch unknown. Earliest teleoconch whorls convex with two primary spiral cords. Axial sculpture and first secondary cord on subsutural ramp appear on third teleoconch whorl. Later teleoconch whorls with subcylindrical periphery and narrow, concave subsutural ramp below prominent subsutural spiral cord. Suture distinctly incised, deeper on early teleoconch. Prominent spiral cord appears at abapical suture on later whorls; cord often emerging from suture on late teleoconch whorls. Up to three weak secondary cords on subsutural ramp between subsutural cord and first secondary cord becoming most prominent in late whorls; one thin secondary cord between primary cords. Axial sculpture of early teleoconch of prominent, weakly opisthocline ribs fading on subsutural ramp. Axial ribs indistinct on later teleoconch whorls, expressed by small, spiny nodes at intersections with spiral cords. Axial ribs greatly increasing in number on last whorl. Last whorl attaining 42–48% of total height, with one wide varix placed opposite aperture. Base with prominent peribasal cord and two close-set, convex, rarely nodulose spiral cords mid-base, about three additional, weaker cords over fasciole.Aperture elongate-ovate. Columella broadly and shallowly excavated. Columellar callus forming thick, broad rim, sharply delimited from base. Anal canal narrow, deeply incised, constricted by prominent parietal denticle. Outer lip not thickened, slightly crenulated. Siphonal canal moderately long and wide, recurved, adapically deflected and sometimes bent to the left.

Discussion. The species displays some variability concerning sculpture of the late teleoconch. Strongly sculptured, moderately slender shells with more prominent and less frequent axial ribs and well-developed nodes predominate.

Thericium crenatum ( Brocchi, 1814) , from the Mediterranean Pliocene is similar but differs in its more slender shell and delicate sculpture of rounded, subquadratic tubercles (see Chirli 2006: pl. 34, figs 1–5). Thericium basilicum sp. nov. differs from T. chamaeleo sp. nov. and T. podhorcense ( Hilber, 1882) in its more slender shell with more delicate spiral sculpture and nodes, especially in comparison with T. chamaeleo . Thericium basilicum might be part of the anagenetic lineage T. chamaeleo (early/middle Badenian)— T. podhorcense (late Badenian)— T. basilicum (latest Badenian). This succession led to successively more slender shells with less prominent, delicate sculpture, simultaneously coinciding with an increasing variability of sculpture. This might reflect the rather isolated conditions and aberrant water chemistry in the region during the late Badenian.

Paleoenvironment. Unknown.

Distribution. Latest Badenian (Serravallian) of the Moldavian Platform.

Central Paratethys. Late Badenian (Middle Miocene): Moldavian Platform: Bursuc, Naslavcea ( Moldova) ( Yanakevich 1980; hoc opus).