Fusinus cretellai Buzzurro & Russo, 2008: A new replacement name for Fusus crassus Pallary, 1901. Triton 17: 7 (March 2008).

Synonyms

Fusus crassus Pallary, 1901: Diagnoses de quelques coquilles nouvelles provenant du Maroc. Journal de Conchyliologie 49: 314.

Description

Shell fusiform, rather small (20-28 mm), conspicuously thick-shelled, 7-8 strongly convex, inflated and unkeeled whorls. 9-14 rather narrow and slightly oblique axial ribs on all whorls, separated by very narrow and deeply impressed interspaces. 5-7 strong, rounded spiral cords, which are stronger where they pass over the axial ribs. Aperture yellowish, ovate. Outer lip clearly thickened, edge strongly denticulated, strong internal lirae. Siphonal canal short. Coloured whitish to yellowish, with two red-brown bands.

Type material

Lectotype (28.0 x 11.0 mm) in Muséum d'Histoire naturelle Paris (MNHN), designated by Hadorn & Rolán (1999: Argonauta XIII (1): 40) .

Type locality

North Morocco, Bay of Tangier.

Range and habitat

Strait of Gibraltar. Known from North Morocco, Tangier area, but also recorded from South Spain by Van Aartsen, Menkhorst & Gittenberger (1984: The marine Mollusca of the Bay of Algeciras, Spain, with general notes on Mitrella, Marginellidae and Turridae, Basteria Suppl. No. 2: p. 39, Fig. 190 (erroneously determined as F. pulchellus)). Recently recorded by Pedro Pablo Modroño de la Rosa (Spain) off Cape Trafalgar, Cadiz, South Spain, in one meter depth under stones.

Discussion

Rather rare in modern collections, but not uncommon. Easily recognizable species: F. cretellai differs from all other West African and Mediterranean Fusinus by the clearly thicker shell, the numerous low axial ribs with very narrow interspaces between them, and in having a light yellow background colour with two red-brown bands on all whorls.