Cenozoic Muricidae of the Western Atlantic Region: Part II--Chicoreus sensu stricto and Chicoreus (Siratus)

Abstract

There are 12 presently known species of the gastropod subgenus Chicoreus sensu stricro (type: Murex ramosus Linnaeus) from the Cenozoic of the western Atlantic region. Five of the species are Recent, of these three are known also as fossils, and the balance are known only from the fossil record. In this paper all of the species are treated systematically, including one new species, Chicoreus (Chicoreus) floridanus E. H. Vokes.  It is suggested that the oldest representation  of the group are derivatives of European species described from the Helvetian beds of western Europe. In addition, those muricine species formerly assigned to a "Western Atlantic" subgroup of Murex s.s. are here placed in the subgenus Chicoreus (Siratus). Two specific homonyms in this group are renamed, they are:  C. (Siratus) perelegans (n.n. pro Murex elegans Sowerby, non Donovan), and C. (Siratus) reevei (n.n. pro Murex trilineatus Reeve, non Sowerby).