Figs 11A 1 –A 3, B 1 –B 3, 3G, 5, 6

Pleurotoma (Clavatula) spinosa Grat. — Hoernes & Auinger 1891: 342, pl. 46, figs 22a–b [non ‘ Clavatula ’ spinosa Grateloup, 1832].

Type material. Holotype: NHMW 1865 /0001/0224, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), SL: 29.8 mm, MD: 15.6 mm, illustrated in Hoernes & Auinger (1891, pl. 46, figs 22a–b); figs 11A 1 –A 3. Paratype: NHMW 1874 /0025/0046, Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), SL: 30.9 mm, MD: 14.7 mm, figs 11B 1 –B 3, 3G.

Type locality. Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania), Făget Basin.

Type stratum. Silt and clay of the Dej Formation.

Age. Middle Miocene, early/middle Badenian (Langhian).

Etymology. In honor of Sorin Filipescu (Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania), in recognition of his contributions to the Neogene stratigraphy of the Transylvanian Basin.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized, moderately broad biconic, with coronate spire, open spines on subsutural collar, last whorl with sharply angular shoulder, cancellate sculpture at mid-whorl, base with irregular cords, siphonal canal moderately short.

Description. Shell medium-sized, moderately broad biconic, solid, with coronate conical spire, apical angle about 45–47°. Protoconch not preserved. Teleoconch of up to nine whorls (earliest whorls not preserved). Early teleoconch whorls with bipartite sculpture; weakly granulose subsutural cord, fine spiral threads in concave portion at mid-whorl, bifid beaded suprasutural cord in apposition to abapical suture. On the sixth spire whorl sculpture changes abruptly. Sharp open spines appear on subsutural collar. Spines slightly bent adapically, mid-whorl portion concave, weakly striate. Beads along abapical suture broaden into low triangular riblets. Suture narrowly impressed, weakly undulating. Last whorl 60% of total height; subsutural collar bearing 12–14 sharp spiny tubercles; subsutural ramp very broad, steep, concave, weakly spirally striate, with weak ribs on abapical half of ramp strengthening towards shoulder; shoulder sharp; ribs most strongly developed at mid-whorl, crossing three spiral cords resulting in cancellate mid-whorlsculpture. Base moderately well delimited by strengthened peribasal cord. Base strongly constricted, concave, bearing cords of irregular strength, two stronger just above the siphonal fasciole, beaded by axial ribs that weaken abapically. Siphonal fasciole poorly delimited, bearing numerous fine spiral cords. Aperture ovate, outer lip not thickened, smooth within. Anal sinus moderately wide, moderately deep, asymmetrically Ushaped. Siphonal canal moderately short, shallowly notched at tip. Columella strongly excavated in adapical third, straight below, weakly twisted, smooth. Columellar and parietal callus thickened, sharply delimited, forming moderately broad callus rim.

Discussion. Clavatula sorini is morphologically very close to the extant C. muricata (Lamarck, 1822). Both species are coronate with prominent, open spines and sharp shoulder. Clavatula muricata, however differs in its more conical spire, the narrower anal sinus and the less prominent and raised spiral cords on the base.

When describing this species, Hoernes & Auinger (1891) referred to a species established by Grateloup (1832, 1846) from the Burdigalian of Dax in the Aquitaine Basin as Pleurotoma spinosa. The status of this French species is not fully clear and Peyrot (1931: 18) treated it as synonym of Clavatula asperulata (Lamarck, 1822) [= Megaclavatula asperulata]. The illustrations of Grateloup (1846, pl. 19, fig. 24) and Peyrot (1931, pl. 5, figs 11, 15) differ clearly from the Paratethyan species in their slender outline, high and flat-sided early spire whorls, and the much more prominent and spiny nodes on the penultimate and last whorls. These features distinguish also the late Miocene species from Stazzano and S. Agata in Italy, which were erroneously identified as Clavatula spinosa Grateloup by Bellardi (1877). The Italian shells differ in their more slender shape, longer siphonal canal, narrower last whorl, only one stronger subperipheral spiral cord on the basis and more numerous but less spiny nodes on the shoulder (pers. obs. R. Janssen).

Paleoenvironment. Unknown, probably middle to outer neritic environments based on assemblages from Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania) (own data).

Distribution in Central Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Făget Basin: Lăpugiu de Sus (Romania) (Hoernes & Auinger 1891).

Proto-Mediterranean Sea: ? Tortonian (late Miocene): Po Basin: S. Agata, Stazzano (Italy) (Bellardi 1877).