Figs 35G

* Pleurotoma (Clavatula) herculea Mayer-Eymar, 1886: 310, pl. 16, fig. 7.

Type material. Lectotype designated herein: S 1523, SL: 54 mm, MD: 23 mm, Grund (Austria), illustrated in MayerEymar (1886: 310, pl. 16, fig. 7), stored in the collection of the ETH Zürich (Switzerland), fig. 35G). Paralectotypes: Mayer-Eymar (1886) had three specimens at hand of which two are still preserved.

Description. Medium-sized, moderately broad bucciniform, with high, conical spire; apical angle ~33°. Protoconch not preserved. Teleoconch of more than eight whorls. Early teleoconch whorls abraded. Later whorls weakly concave with periphery at abapical suture. Subsutural collar narrow, weakly swollen. Broad, poorly delimited suprasutural cord bearing low beads. Suture narrowly incised, straight. Last whorl 60% of total height. Last whorl weakly concave with weak peribasal cord. Shoulder coinciding with periphery, swollen, smooth. Base conical, weakly constricted, with two close-set, broad, low, peribasal spiral cords. Fasciole swollen with marked growth increments.Aperture moderately wide, ovate. Outer lip not thickened, smooth within. Anal sinus moderately shallow, moderately wide, asymmetrically U-shaped, with apex distinctly below subsutural collar. Siphonal canal moderately short, wide, straight. Columella weakly excavated in upper third, straight below, smooth. Columellar and parietal callus thickened, well demarcated from base, forming very broad rim and narrow pseudumbilical chink.

Discussion. This species is based on strongly abraded specimens. It is reminiscent of Perrona lydiae (Hoernes & Auinger, 1891) in general outline and size. A major difference, however, is the presence of low tubercles at the abapical suture of the spire whorls and the much shallower anal sinus. Moreover, Perrona lydiae has a much weaker fasciole and lacks a pseudoumbilical chink. In addition, the base of Perrona herculea is less constricted and the last whorl is conical instead of subcylindrical. Finally, Perrona lydiae does not occur at Grund (Austria). Perrona eleonorae (Hoernes & Auinger, 1891) agrees in general shape and fasciolar morphology, but differs from P. herculea in its coronate subsutural cord and slightly gradate spire. Due to the similarities with Perrona lydiae and P. eleonorae, we place this species tentatively in Perrona.

Paleoenvironment. At the locality Grund fossiliferous channel fills, which formed in middle to outer neritic environments bear allochthonous assemblages uniting coastal-mudflat faunas with inner neritic ones (Zuschin et al. 2005; Roetzel 2009).

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): North Alpine-Carpathian Foreland Basin: Grund (Austria) (Mayer-Eymar 1891).