A new species of Umbilia Jousseaume, 1884 (Mollusca: Cypraeidae) from the Australian Pliocene

ABSTRACT

A new morphologically distinct species of cowry (family Cypraeidae Rafinesque, 1815) is described from the Pliocene of Flinders Island, Tasmania. Diagnostic features of Umbilia furneauxensis n. sp. include relatively small size (<60 mm), extension of apertural dentition to at least midway on the ventrum and labrum, and heavily callused margins with numerous shallow depressions forming a dimpled surface that may extend on to the base. It is the third Umbilia species to be recognised from the Australian Pliocene.

ZooBank registration: http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B6291F2-DA31-4A00-A223-268A83F480AE

KEYWORDS:

• Gastropoda
• marine
• cowrie
• fossil
• Cameron Inlet Formation
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

We thank Betty and Jim Grace for access to their property for specimen collection, Dawn and Naomi for support and technical assistance, Angus Hawke for size range data for Umbilia eximia and three anonymous reviewers for constructive inputs to this study. This study was supported by University of the Sunshine Coast Research Initiative funding to the first author.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by University of the Sunshine Coast [Research Initiative].