Neptunea quhmax Mclean & Clark 2023, n. sp.

Neptunea quhmax n. sp.

Figures 16 D–F

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F0519719-EBB3-45A0-A626-4E7D3E2E8A57

Type locality: Stalemate Bank, W of Attu Island, Near Ids., Aleutian Is., Alaska (52°54.5 N, 170°49.26 E), 219 m (NMFS 23-199701 - 211).

Type material: Holotype: LACM 3584, 109.5 mm.(leg. RNC, 3Aug. 1997, trawled R/V Dominator); Paratypes: Pt 1, SBMNH 169009, 97.4 mm. Stalemate Bank, W of Attu Island, Near Ids. (52°54.52 N, 170°47.75 E), 222 m (NMFS 143-201001 - 199); Pt 2, RNC 4599, 114.8 mm. Stalemate Bank, W of Attu Island, Near Ids. (52°56.06 N, 170°° 58.73 E), 185 m (NMFS 147-200401 - 221).

Description: Shell fusiform, of medium size (to 114.8 mm, RNS 4599); whorls rounded, concave above the shoulder angulation, suture strongly impressed; solid white, periostracum very thin or absent. Apex missing, about four teleconch whorls, axial sculpture lacking. Spiral sculpture of four strongly projecting cords above suture, with 3–4 lesser cords on shoulder ramp; one secondary cord between main cords, and 2–4 finer tertiary cords; base with 10–12 primary cords, with one or two secondary cords between. Aperture short, about 1/3 of shell height, broadly oval; canal relatively short, narrow.

Radula: Rather unique for genus, rachidian tooth chevron shaped, bearing three slender cusps at center of tooth, central cusp longest, lateral cusps much shorter (in the holotype one of the lateral cusps is deformed and mostly absent). Lateral teeth tri-cuspid, outer cusp much larger than others, strongly curved; inner cusp slightly shorter and about half as broad as inner cusp.

Remarks: Differs from N. aleutica in 1) heavier shell, 2) taller, slenderer, profile with shorter aperture, more strongly impressed suture and 3) more strongly projecting spiral cords. This species also resembles Neptunea alabaster Alexeyev & Fraussen, 2005 (figs. 16 G–H), in its strongly projecting cords, but has a narrower profile and a shorter aperture.

Etymology: The name is derived from the western Unangan “Aleut” word for white, quhmax, pronounced: Kue-hm-ach.

Distribution: Appears to be restricted to the Stalemate Bank, West of Attu Island, Near Ids. (170°30 E to 171°00 E), at depths of 185– 222 m.

Habitat: Lives on sand/gravel and cobble bottoms at a bottom temperature of 3.9°C.