Based on shell characters, three new species of the conoidean gastropod genus Bela Leach, 1847 are here described from the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The new taxa, Bela hellenica n. sp., Bela rufinii n. sp. and Bela salentina n. sp. known only from their type localities, were compared with the most closely related species. The paucispiral protoconch of these new species allowed an unambiguous shell separation. With this work the number of Recent Mediterranean species ascribed to the genus Bela and displaying this type of larval develop- ment is increased, and the first record of Bela filioae Öztürk et Ovalis, 2024 is reported from the Salento Peninsula (Italy) waters.
Mariottini, P., Vitale, F., Trono, D., Prkić, J., Di Giulio, A., Smriglio, C. (2025). Description of three new species of Bela Leach, 1847 (Conoidea Mangeliidae) from the Mediterranean Sea. BIODIVERSITY JOURNAL, 16(2), 271-283 [10.31396/biodiv.jour.2025.16.2.271.283].
Description of three new species of Bela Leach, 1847 (Conoidea Mangeliidae) from the Mediterranean Sea
Di Giulio, Andrea;
2025-01-01
Abstract
Based on shell characters, three new species of the conoidean gastropod genus Bela Leach, 1847 are here described from the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The new taxa, Bela hellenica n. sp., Bela rufinii n. sp. and Bela salentina n. sp. known only from their type localities, were compared with the most closely related species. The paucispiral protoconch of these new species allowed an unambiguous shell separation. With this work the number of Recent Mediterranean species ascribed to the genus Bela and displaying this type of larval develop- ment is increased, and the first record of Bela filioae Öztürk et Ovalis, 2024 is reported from the Salento Peninsula (Italy) waters.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
