Profundiconus barazeri Tenorio & Castelin, 2016

Figs 2, 3–4

Profundiconus barazeri Tenorio & Castelin, 2016: 25, figs 10, 11a–g, k. Profundiconus n. sp. b – Puillandre et al. 2014: supplementary material 1 (unfigured).

Profundiconus barazeri – Monnier et al. 2018a: 144.

25 lots (47 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Holotype NEW CALEDONIA • 11.6 mm; NW Bellona Reef, off New Caledonia, stn DW2564; 20º25′ S, 158º41′ E; 333‒386 m depth; 13 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN-IM-2007-30760. (Fig. 3A, M)

NEW CALEDONIA • Paratype 1, 14.5 mm; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN-IM-2007-30924 (Fig. 3B) • 15.6 mm; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN (Fig. 3C) • 18.1 mm; N Bellona, off New Caledonia, stn CP2579; 20º21′ S, 158º40′ E; 440‒455 m depth; 14 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN (Fig. 3D) • 15.4 mm; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN (Fig. 3E) • 22.9 mm; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN (Fig. 3F) • 18.8 mm; N Bellona, off New Caledonia, stn CP2579; 20º21′ S, 158º40′ E; 440‒455 m depth; 14 Oct. 2005; EBISCO expedition; MNHN (Fig. 3G) • 22.2 mm; Grand Passage, off New Caledonia, stn DW2980; 18°16′ S, 162°57′E; 574‒660 m depth; 4 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN (Fig. 3H) • 22.1 mm; Grand Passage, off New Caledonia, stn DW2993; 18º00′ S, 163º02′ E; 700‒730 m depth; 6 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN (Fig. 3I) • Paratype 4, 10.6 mm; Grand Passage, off New Caledonia, stn DW2985; 18°59′ S, 163°06′ E; 277‒289 m depth; 5 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN-IM-2000-30792 (Fig. 3J) • 13.4 mm; Grand Passage, off New Caledonia, stn DW3001; 18º32′ S, 163º09′ E; 390‒400 m depth; 7 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN (Fig. 3K) • Grand Passage, off New Caledonia, stn DW2986; 17º59′ S, 163º05′ E; 270‒300 m depth; 5 May 2008; CONCALIS expedition; MNHN (Fig. 3L).

Coral Sea (Bellona Plateau and Plateau des Chesterfield) and N New Caledonia, Grand Passage area, typically at depths between 200 and 500 m, but specimens have been sampled from 700 m and beyond (Fig. 4). This species can be considered endemic.

Shell very small (maximum length 16.5 mm). Protoconch white, porcellaneous, with 1.5 whorls (Fig. 3L). Profundiconus barazeri resembles in general aspect a small specimen of Boucheticonus alisi (Moolenbeek, R̂ckel & Richard, 1995) (Fig. 22, see below), but they are easily separable because the latter has a multispiral protoconch with a characteristic brown blotch. Radular tooth (Fig. 3M) rather large. Anterior portion of tooth much shorter than posterior section. Barb and pointed, well-defined blade, which covers 48–61% of apical portion of tooth. External cusp present, laterally widened and serrated, with 7–9 small denticles. Characteristic fringe of closely spaced projections pointing towards the apex located immediately below waist. Shaft fold present. Large and prominent basal spur on top of slanted base of tooth. In the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 2), P. barazeri appears sister to Profundiconus estivali. Specimens from two separate populations are known: from NW Bellona Reef, Plateau des Chesterfield (type locality), and from the Grand Passage area. Individuals from each of the populations exhibit distinctive shell patterns, but only those from the Coral Sea have been studied using DNA (Fig. 2). For the moment, we consider both populations conspecific.

Profundiconus estivali (R̂ckel, Richard & Moolenbeek, 1995) comb. nov.

Figs 2, 5A–E, N, 6

Conus estivali R̂ckel et al., 1995a: 571, figs 6–7.

Conus species no. 22 – R̂ckel et al. 1995b: pl. 72 figs 26–27.

Continuconus estivali – Tucker & Tenorio 2013: 181. — Monnier et al. 2018a: 327.

5 lots (5 specimens). See Supp. file 1.

Holotype NEW CALEDONIA • 10.5 mm; Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, off New Caledonia, stn DC361; 19º52′ S, 158º38′ E; 400 m depth; 19 Oct. 1986; MUSORSTOM 5 expedition; MNHN-IM2000-2566 (Fig. 5A).

NEW CALEDONIA • 11 mm; Plateau des Chesterfield, off New Caledonia, stn DW5040; 19°57′ S, 158°43′ E; 350‒ 350 m depth; 22 Sep. 2017; KANADEEP expedition; MNHN-IM-2013-48166 (Fig. 5B) • Paratype, 12 mm; Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, off New Caledonia, stn DC378; 19º53′ S, 158º38′ E; 355 m depth; 20 Oct. 1986; MUSORSTOM 5 expedition; MNHN-IM-2000-2565 (Fig. 5 C) • Paratype, 12.2 mm; same collection data as for the preceding specimen; MNHNIM-2000-2565 (Fig. 5D) • Paratype, 12 mm; Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, off New Caledonia, stn DC379; 19º53′ S, 158º39′ E; 370‒400 m depth; 20 Oct. 1986; MUSORSTOM 5 expedition; MNHNIM-2000-2564 (Fig. 5E).

Coral Sea, Plateau des Chesterfield, at depths between 300 and 600 m. This species can be considered endemic to this area.

Shell very small (maximum length 15 mm). Protoconch globose, white, translucent, with about 2 whorls. The characteristic protoconch and the quite constant pattern of 6 to 8 fine brown spiral lines on a white background allow immediate separation of P. estivali from its sister species P. barazeri. Radular tooth (Fig. 5N) with anterior portion much shorter than posterior section. External cusp present, laterally widened and serrated, with 5–6 denticles. Characteristic fringe of closely spaced projections pointing towards apex located immediately below waist. Shaft fold present. Large and prominent basal spur on top of slanted base of tooth. This is a rare species of which very few specimens are known. Its taxonomic position within Conidae has only been tentative so far. One live specimen was obtained during the KANADEEP expedition in 2017. Its DNA and radular morphology have now been examined, and both confirm its placement in the genus Profundiconus (Fig. 2).