Coluzea mariae Powell 1952

Coluzea mariae Powell, 1952

(Figures, 38, 42, 77–96)

Synonymy:

Coluzea mariae Powell, 1952: 180, pl. 35, fig. 8; Dell, 1956: 49, pl. 45, fig. 49.

Columbarium (Coluzea) mariae Powell, 1979: 169–170, pl. 37, fig. 4.

Diagnosis. Large species with broad, fusiform, uniformly white shell, very long, distally twisted siphonal canal. Spire short, broadly conical (spire angle 48–53˚), with very low, compressed whorls. Spiral sculpture limited to numerous moderately strong cords, a weak peripheral keel and anterior carina. Axial sculpture of 20–23 weak to moderately strong ribs most prominent near periphery, producing minor nodules along peripheral keel and carina. Protoconch short, nearly cylindrical, of 1⅓– 1¾ whorls. Teleoconch with up to 8 strongly convex whorls.

Description. Shell (Figures 77–88) large (to 100.1 mm), stout, with short, conical spire (spire angle 48–53˚), ovate aperture, and long axial siphonal canal. Protoconch (Figures 91–93) short, broad, nearly cylindrical, with weakly inflated, heavily eroded whorls increasing in diameter from ~520 µm to 1.7 mm in 1⅓– 1¾ whorls. First whorl deflected from coiling axis of shell by ~71˚. Transition to teleoconch distinct, marked by sharp transition from smooth, rounded shell of protoconch to shouldered shell of teleoconch, followed by spiral cords and laterally directed nodular peripheral keel. Teleoconch extrapolated to span up to 8 strongly convex, broadly inflated, ovate whorls. Suture (Figure 77, s) adpressed onto anterior carina (Figure 77, ac) of previous whorl. Spiral sculpture of: 3–4 spiral cords between suture and periphery, increasing in prominence toward periphery; peripheral keel (Figure 77, pk) consisting of strong nodulose cord; two weaker cords between periphery and weak anterior carina; 3–4 cords between carina and siphonal canal; 6–12 progressively weakening cords along proximal ⅓ of siphonal canal. Spiral threads may develop between adjacent major cords with increasing shell size. Axial sculpture of low, rounded ribs, 12–14 on early whorls, 20–23 less prominent ribs on last whorl of adults. Axial ribs extending from suture to siphonal canal, strongest from just above periphery to just below anterior carina, producing nodules at intersections with spiral cords. Aperture ovate, deflected from shell axis by 14–24˚, tapering anteriorly, narrower in juveniles, becoming more rounded with increasing shell size (Figures 88 →79→83→77). Outer lip glazed, weakly furrowed beneath major spiral cords and keel. Inner lip smooth, with portion of outer shell layer resorbed along parietal region, columella and siphonal canal prior to deposition of thin porcellaneous glaze. Siphonal canal very long (50–54% shell length), stout, narrow, axial, proximal ½ straight, distal ½ straight to very weakly spiral. Shell color uniformly white. Periostracum thin, yellowish, finely lamellose, lamellae broadest between adjacent spiral cords. Operculum (Figures 89, 90) thin, elongated, with thickened lateral edges, weakly corrugated along long axis. Columellar muscle attached along broadly ovate posterior area.

Two juvenile female specimens resemble Coluzea spiralis in gross anatomy, except for absence of pigmented eyes. Pallial gonoduct not developed in these specimens. Radular ribbon of specimen in Figures 79–82 (SL = 41.4 mm) 2.66 mm long, consisting of 93 rows of teeth. Rachidian teeth 60.0 µm wide, U-shaped basal plate with central section flanked by broad, expanded lateral edges. Three long, cylindrical cusps, central cusp longest (29.2 µm), confined to central 25.2 µm of tooth. Lateral teeth, each with single, long (64.3 µm), irregularly triangular, scytheshaped cusp, attached to radular ribbon along a basal plate 24 µm wide.

Type locality. (Figure 38,) Off eastern Otago, New Zealand, 60–70 fathoms. [110–128 m].

Type material. Holotype, Auckland Museum, AK 711190.

Material examined. SOUTH ISLAND: 1 NMNZ M.059701, c. 43 km SE of Cape Campbell [41°55.9’S, 174°43.2’E], 454– 424 m, coral and mud bottom, 14 Jan. 1979, RV TANGAROA; 5 NMNZ M.050874, c. 24 miles off Waiau River mouth, S of Kaikoura [42°55’S, 173°43’E], 549–586 m, mud, 18 Mar. 1976, RV ACHERON; 2 NMNZ M.049757, 16–20 miles off Waiau River [42°55’S, 173°43’E], 640– 512 m, on mud, 21 Feb. 1976, RV ACHERON; 3 NMNZ M.052790, wall of Pegasus Canyon, Pegasus Bay, NE of Banks Peninsula [43°14’S, 173°39’E], 1,006– 512 m, coral bottom, 27 Sep. 1976, RV ACHERON; 1 NMNZ M.011337, off Timaru, in 146–164 m; 1 USNM 824522, off Canterbury, trawled in 366 m; 1 NMNZ M.051067, head of Karitane Canyon, NE of Taiaroa Head [45°38.5’S, 171°05’E], 585– 530 m, shell and mud, 19 Mar. 1976, RV ACHERON; 2 NMNZ M.009052, Tairoa Canyon, off east Otago Peninsula [45°45.4’S, 171°05’E], 549 m, coarse medium sand with shell fragments, 16 Aug. 1955, MV ALERT; 7 NMNZ M.058466, Papanui Canyon, off Otago Peninsula [45°46’S, 171°03’E], 660 m, 1 Sep. 1976, RV MUNIDA. CHATHAM RISE: 1 NMNZ M.060313, NE of Mernoo Bank [42°50.8’S, 175°43.8’E], 683–703 m, mud, 11 Jan. 1979, RV TANGAROA; 1 USNM 898588, off Chatham Islands [43°31.0’S, 176°10.0’E], 143–183 m, 24 May 1966, USNS ELTANIN sta. 1709; 2 NMNZ M.008214 [43°38’S, 177°19’E], 531 m, fine green mud and sand, 11 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT; 1 USNM 870658, off Chatham Islands [44°00.0’S, 178°06’E], 430 m, 29 Nov. 1964; 2 NMNZ M.025847 [44°03’S, 177°55.8’E], 475 m, 30 Aug. 1971, RV JAMES COOK; 1 NMNZ M.008218, SE of Pitt Island [44°32’S, 176°05’E], 302 m, fine green sand, 3 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT; 3 NMNZ M.008212, SE of Pitt Island [44°35.5’S, 176°04’E], 604 m, 3 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT. CAMPBELL PLATEAU: 2 NMNZ M.058384 [51°47’S, 168°19’E], 687–695 m, 19 Jan. 1977, RV JAMES COOK. AUCKLAND ISLANDS: 1 NMNZ M.032965 [51°10’S, 167°14’E], 540 m, 22 Feb. 1972, RV JAMES COOK; 1 NMNZ M.032966 [51°11’S, 167°08’E], 558 m, 21 Feb. 1972, RV JAMES COOK.

Additional material at NMNZ: SOUTH ISLAND: 2 NMNZ M.060400, SE of Cape Campbell [41°55.8’S, 174°40.7’E], 434 m, coral and mud, 14 Jan. 1979, RV TANGAROA; 3 NMNZ M.008919, Taiaroa Canyon, off Otago Peninsula [45°45.4’S, 171°05.0’E], 549 m, on coarse to medium sand with shell fragments, 16 Aug. 1955, MV ALERT; 4 NMNZ M.011274, Taiaroa Canyon, NE of Otago Peninsula [45°45.6’S, 171°05.0’E], 549 m, fine sandy mud, 23 Jan. 1957, MV ALERT; 2 NMNZ M.137640, Papanui Canyon, off Otago Peninsula [45°46.1’S, 171°05.0’E], 530–720 m, on mud, 15 Apr. 1997, RV MUNIDA; 3 NMNZ M.130747, off Otago Peninsula [45°51.05’S, 171°00.9’E], 550–589 m, 4 Jun. 1992, RV MUNIDA; 1 NMNZ M.008209, S of Timaru; 1 NMNZ M.011327, Off Timaru; 2 NMNZ M.110669, off Oamaru, 1959. CHATHAM RISE: 12 NMNZ M.118860, E of Mernoo Bank [42°53.0’S, 176°04.0’E], 370–420 m, Dec 1994, FV PETERSON; 30 NMNZ M.118998, E of Mernoo Bank [43°01.0’S, 176°45.5’E], 368–411 m, 27 Dec. 1994, FV PETERSON; 1 NMNZ M.116990, E of Mernoo Bank [43°02.1’S, 176°39.0’E], 400 m, Jun. 1992, FV VENTURE K; 1 NMNZ M.117025, E of Mernoo Bank [43°05.5’S, 176°50.8’E], 340 m, Jun. 1992, FV VENTURE K; 1 NMNZ M.283962 [43°07.75’S, 177°10.015’E], 270–271 m, 25 Apr. 2007, RV TANGAROA; 18 NMNZ M.127028, NE slope of Mernoo Bank [43°10.0’S, 175°44.0’E], 450 m, Oct. 1995, FV PETERSON; 4 NMNZ M.008217 [43°14.0’S, 176°11.0’E], 366 m, 23 Jan. 1954, MV ALERT; 1 NMNZ M.284038, off Chatham Islands [43°30.67’S, 176°10.567’W], 194–218 m, 14 Apr. 2007, RV TANGAROA; 1 NMNZ M.131185, off Chatham Islands [43°31.0’S, 176°10.0’E], 143–183 m, 24 May 1966, USNS ELTANIN; 2 NMNZ M.008215 [43°36.0’S, 175°31.0’E], 375 m, 12 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT; 1 NMNZ M.008556 [43°38.0’S, 177°19.0’E], 531 m, fine green mud and sand, 11 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT; 5 NMNZ M.008213 [43°40.0’S, 179°28.0’E], 403 m, 24 Jan. 1954, MV ALERT; 2 NMNZ M.008221 [43°40.0’S, 177°59.0’E] in 585 m, 11 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT; 1 NMNZ M.008211[43°42.0’S, 179°55.0’E], 512 m, fine grey sand and mud, 24 Jan. 1954, MV ALERT; 1 NMNZ M.009225, E of Forty-Fours, Chatham Islands [44°04.0’S, 175°23.5’E], 238 m, 1 Feb. 1954, MV ALERT. AUCKLAND ISLANDS: 1 NMNZ M.147018 [50°00.1’S, 166°38.2’E], 415 m, 26 Mar. 1998, FV ALBATROSS II; 2 NMNZ M.118758, E of Auckland Islands [50°50.0’S, 166°52.0’E], 390–400 m, 11 Nov. 1994, FV PETERSON; 1 NMNZ M.147032 [50°53.0’S, 166°46.0’E], 390 m, 12 Mar. 1998, FV ALBATROSS II; 3 NMNZ M.147014 [50°57.0’S, 167°12.0’E], 485 m. 18 Mar. 1998, FV ALBATROSS II; 2 NMNZ M.147003 [50°58.0’S, 167°57.0’E], 485 m, 17 Mar. 1998, FV ALBATROSS II; 26 NMNZ M.117116 & 117116/1 [51°10.0’S, 166°40.0’E], 360–390 m, 1992, FV VENTURE K; 17 NMNZ M.119008 [51°10.0’S, 167°37.0’E], 490–510 m, 31 Oct. 1994, FV PETERSON; 1 NMNZ M.058401, Cathedral Banks [51°20’S, 166°34’E], 646–670 m, 19 Jan. 1977, RV JAMES COOK.

Distribution ( Figures, 38, 42 ): Coluzea mariae inhabits fine mud to coarse sand, shell and coral bottoms off Cape Campbell southward along the eastern coast of South Island, the western Campbell Plateau in the vicinity of the Auckland and Campbell Islands, and along the western Chatham Rise. Depth records range from 110 to 1,006 m, with a confirmed bathymetric range of 128–687 m and a mean station depth [n = 47] of 444.6 m. The vast majority of records are from depths greater than 300 m. However, there are several records, including the type locality, from much shallower water (128–238 m) from the Canterbury Bight, and from Mernoo Bank on the Chatham Rise.

Remarks. Coluzea mariae is a distinctive species characterized by its short, broad spire, with the shell periphery situated low on the whorl, close to the suture of the succeeding whorl, a roundly ovate aperture, and a very long siphonal canal. Axial ribs are prevalent on early whorls, but become less pronounced with increasing shell size. The protoconch consists of few, rounded whorls and is broadly conical, nearly cylindrical. The geographic range of Coluzea mariae overlaps with that of Coluzea altocanalis along the eastern coast of South Island as well as on the Chatham Rise, but, as noted under the discussion for C. altocanalis, the latter species generally occurs at substantially greater depths.

The holotype of Columbarium pataka Maxwell, 1978, a rare species from Middle Eocene (Hampden Formation, Bortonian) near Otago, South Island, is similar to juvenile specimens of Coluzea mariae, but differs chiefly in having a more pronounced peripheral keel, anterior carina and axial sculpture, and particularly in having short, stout, but open spines along the peripheral keel. Open spines are lacking in Recent New Zealand Coluzea, but occur in Coluzea from both the western and eastern Indian Ocean as well as in congeners from Eastern Australia and New Caledonia. Maxwell (1978: 38) noted that C. pataka “is clearly rather divorced from other species of Columbarium ”, that it “almost certainly belongs to some other genus group taxon”, and that it “possibly belongs to a group that gave rise to Coluzea.” Based on close morphological similarity, Columbarium pataka is here transferred to the genus Coluzea.