Published April 2, 2026 | Version v1

Conus (Conus) letourneuxi Merle 2026, n. sp.

  • 1. École pratique des Hautes Études, Paris Sciences et Lettres PSL Research University Laboratoire UAR 3278, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique, Université de Perpignan, Avenue de Villeneuve F- 66860 Perpignan (France) and Centre de Recherches insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, CRIOBE, Moorea (Polynésie française)
  • 2. Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Origines & Évolution, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie Paris (CR 2 P - MNHN, CNRS, Sorbonne Université), case postale 38, 57 rue Cuvier, F- 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France)
  • 3. BP 112206 - 98709 Mahina, Tahiti (Polynésie française)
  • 4. Rue Girounet, F- 24130 La force (France)
  • 5. Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS-UMR 7330, IRD, INRAE, Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherche de Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), F- 13331 Marseille (France)
  • 6. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Commissariat à l'Énergie atomique, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yveline (LSCE-IPSL, CEA, CNRS, UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, F- 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
  • 7. BP 2720 - 98713 Papeete, Tahiti (Polynésie française)

Description

Conus (Conus) letourneuxi Merle, n. sp.

(Fig. 13 A-D)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5DDF566A-05C5-43D7-B2D5-BB49C5189FC7

Conus marmoreus – Salvat et al. 2018: table 1 [non Conus marmoreus Linnaeus, 1758].

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. France • French Polynesia, Niau Atoll, “La Piscine”; 6°08’22.32”S, 146°23’14.09”W; Plio-Pleistocene (molluscs assemblage); MNHN.F.A98436 (Letourneux coll.); H 70.5 mm.

ETYMOLOGY. — Dedicated to Jean Letourneux.

TYPE HORIZON. — Plio-Pleistocene (molluscs assemblage) (see Figs 7; 8).

TYPE LOCALITY. — French Polynesia, Niau Atoll, “La Piscine”: 6°08’22.32”S, 146°23’14.09”W.

DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from the type locality.

DESCRIPTION

Shell moderately large, with very low conical spire. Apical angle 118°.Teleoconch of 9 whorls, whorl tops smooth delimited by a shoulder very slightly lower than the suture. Suture moderately impressed. Subsutural sinus deep, strongly curved, strongly asymmetrical. Last whorl with concave subsutural platform, slighlty angled at shoulder placed below suture, regularly conical below, position of maximum diameter close below shoulder, not constricted at base. Siphonal fasciole weakly developed. Weak, close set spaced cords from the base to the center of last whorl and fasciole. Aperture relatively narrow with parallel sides, hardly widening abapically; siphonal canal short. Colour pattern poorly preserved consisting large dark triangular spots surrounded by light yellow fluorescent bands under UV light.

COMPARISONS

The residual colour pattern of Conus (Conus) letourneuxi n. sp. (Fig. 13C, D) is reminicent to that of Conus (Conus) marmoreus (Linneaus, 1758), Conus (Conus) bandanus Hwass in Bruguière, 1792 and Conus (Eugeniconus) marchionatus Hinds, 1843. The shells of C. (C.) marmoreus and C. (C.) bandanus have a crenulated spire, whereas that of C. (C.) letourneuxi n. sp. is smooth. C. (E.) marchionatus displays a smooth spire, but it is flatter than that of C. (C.) letourneuxi n. sp. and the shape of its triangular spots is more rounded.

Notes

Published as part of Salvat, Bernard, Merle, Didier, Letourneux, Jean, Tröndlé, Jean, Montaggioni, Lucien François, Pons-Branchu, Edwige, Dumoulin, Jean-Pascal & Bacchet, Philippe, 2026, Evolutionary history of reef-dwelling and associated lagoonal mollusc assemblages of the uplifted Niau Atoll (Tuamotu, French Polynesia) since the Pliocene, pp. 87-125 in Geodiversitas 48 (6) on page 106, DOI: 10.5252/geodiversitas2026v48a6, http://zenodo.org/record/19384200

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Collection code
TYPE, MATERIAL, MNHN
Material sample ID
MNHN.F.A98436
Scientific name authorship
Merle
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Order
Neogastropoda
Family
Conidae
Genus
Conus
Species
letourneuxi
Taxon rank
species
Taxonomic status
sp. nov.
Type status
holotype
Taxonomic concept label
Conus (Conus) letourneuxi Merle, 2026

References