The Pliocene Gastropoda (Mollusca) of Estepona, southern Spain. Part 22: Marine Heterobranchia (excluding Pyramidelloidea)

In this paper we review the Heterobranchia (excluding Pyramidelloidea) of the Lower Piacenzian, Upper Pliocene of Estepona, southern Spain. 59 species are reviewed representing 37 genera. Voluta exilis Eichwald, 1829 is a junior homonym of Voluta exilis Gmelin, 1791, therefore Ringicula guzhovi nov. nom. is proposed for the Paratethyan species. Tornatina hemipleura Fontannes,1880 is considered a junior subjective synonym of Acteocina knockeri (E.A. Smith, 1872). This group includes species with mostly planktotrophic development that are widely dispersed geographically and long lived stratigraphically. This is especially true of the Architectonicidae. Hence, in contrast to other parts of this series, none of the species are endemic to the Estepona assemblages. Both shallow and deeper-water taxa are represented, and the assemblage is similar to that found in the tropical Mediterranean Pliocene of Italy (Mediterranean ecostratigraphic unit MPPMU1).