The Pliocene Gastropoda (Mollusca) of Estepona, southern Spain. Part 14: Clavatulidae (Gastropoda, Conoidea)

In this paper we review the Clavatulidae of the lower Piacenzian, upper Pliocene of Estepona, southern Spain. Ten clavatulid species; nine within the ‘Clavatula’ genus group representing the genera Clavatula (s.s.), ‘Clavatula’ (s.l.) and Granulatocincta, of which three are new: ‘Clavatula’ iberica nov. sp., ‘Clavatula’ pliogradata nov. sp., and ‘Clavatula’ nana nov. sp. One species is present representing the ‘Perrona’ genus group, which is described as new: Tomellana postjouannetii nov. sp. Tomellana onubensis nov. sp. is described from the Atlantic lower Pliocene Guadalquivir Basin assemblage of Huelva, southwestern Spain. Clavatula raffaëlei Cipolla, 1914 is considered a junior subjective synonym of ‘Clavatula’ romana (Defrance, 1826). Clavatula rugata Bellardi, 1877 is considered a junior subjective synonym of Granulatocincta rustica (Brocchi, 1814). In the Pliocene tropical Mediterranean-West African Palaeobiogeographical Province clavatulid diversity during MPPMU1 increases immediately adjacent to the Strait of Gibraltar on both the Mediterranean and Atlantic sides, and in the Atlantic decreases rapidly further north in the subtropical French-Iberian Province, reflecting the strongly thermophilic nature of the group that today is restricted to tropical West African waters. Clavatulids in the Estepona assemblages are strongly endemic (60%), which is in keeping with their non-planktotrophic mode of development.