Leucosyrinx pikei (Dell 1963)

“Waitara pikei n. sp. Text-figs. 3, 4.

Shell of moderate size, narrowly fusiform with a long straight anterior canal, not notched. Whorls 9½ including protoconch. Protoconch paucispiral of 1½ rather flattened globose whorls, sculptured with microscopically fine axials curving back to the suture to follow the same line as the series on the adult shell, the axials crossed by finer incised spirals, the sculpture only visible under × 25 magnification. Whorls strongly angled, below the middle on the early whorls, about the middle on later, shoulder deeply concave. The first six whorls of the teleoconch [sic] sculptured with raised axials which are fine across the shoulder following the line of the sinus, bending forward across the angulation where they become very strong, rendering the angulation strongly nodulous, and thence continuing obliquely across the lower portion of the whorls and diminishing in strength to disappear before the lower suture. On the antepenultimate these axials are becoming obsolete and across the penultimate and body whorls they have almost completely disappeared. Spiral sculpture well developed. Shoulder at first lacking spirals except for microscopically fine striations, but soon developing three to four weak spirals just below the suture. The peripheral angulation bears three to five strong close-spaced spirals with the lower part of the whorl bearing at first three and eventually ten evenly developed raised spirals. Body whorl with three weak spirals below the suture, three on the shoulder, 14 of varied strength across the angulation and some 58 across the rest of body whorl and base. Outer lip with a well developed sinus sweeping well back from the angulation and then in a wide, shallow even arc across the shoulder to the upper suture. Inner lip a thin glaze across the body whorl. Height, 35.0mm; diam., 10.8mm.

LOCALITIES:

Haul 27-18 miles N. 30° E. of Poor Knights Islands, 256-267 fathoms, 20.11.1962. (Holotype)

Haul 31-17 miles N.E. of Cavalli Islands, 260 fathoms. 22.11.1962. (Paratype)

Holotype (M.16273) and paratype (M.16252) in Dominion Museum.

Reference of this species to Waitara is made with some hesitation. Powell (1942, p. 167) has discussed Waitara in some detail and has included the genus together with Thatcheria in a new family, the Thatcheridae. The protoconch has been described and figured for Waitara liratula Powell (Powell, 1942, Text-fig. B3) and the protoconch in pikei is of this type. The sinus is similar to that developed in Waitara. On the other hand pikei is much narrower than any of the previously described species of Waitara and the protoconch, apart from the very fine sculpture is very like that seen in Comitas and Apiotoma and the whole shell is rather similar to such Australian species of Apiotoma as pritchardi Powell and bassi (Pritchard). On the basis of the sculpturing on the protoconch it is here referred to Waitara.

The species is named for Dr R. B. Pike, whose enthusiastic collecting has brought the present novelties to light.”

(Dell, 1963: 215)