Bittium badzoshviliae Harzhauser, Guzhov & Landau, 2025, sp. nov.

Bittium badzoshviliae sp. nov. Figs 2E–I Bittium acutum Osaulenko— Iljina et al. 1976: 99, pl. 25, figs 19, 23, 24, 26. B [ittium]. acutum (Ossau.) — Badzoshvili 1979: 27, pl. 20, figs 2–3. Bittium acutum Ossaul.— Badzoshvili 1986: 36, 63, pl. 18, figs 5–6. Type material. Holotype, PIN 5904 /9; SL: 5 mm, MD: 2.3 mm, Krymsk (Russia), Figs 2G 1 –G 2. Paratypes: PIN 5904 /7; SL: 5.8 mm, MD: 2.3 mm, Cəngi (Azerbaijan), Fig. 2E. PIN 5904 /8; SL: 4.9 mm, MD: 2 mm, Otap River (Abkhazia), Fig. 2F. PIN 5904 / 10; Otap River (Abkhazia), Fig. 2H. PIN 5904 / 11; Otap River (Abkhazia), Fig. 2I. Type locality. Krymsk (Russia). Type stratum. Unknown. Age. Late Miocene, early Maeotian (Tortonian). Etymology. In honor of Tsiala Badzoshvili, who studied Maeotian molluscs of Georgia. Description. Small, slender shell of 7–8 teleoconch whorls, attaining 6–6.5 mm in height; apical angle 20– 25°. Protoconch of 2.5–3 whorls, terminal part becoming angled mid-whorl, with sinusigera (dp = 300–320 μm). Teleoconch whorl profile markedly angled with broad subsutural ramp. Suture moderately incised. First teleoconch whorl with two prominent primary spiral cords placed mid-whorl and weaker suprasutural cord. Secondary sculpture of three delicate spiral threads over subsutural ramp appearing after second to fourth teleoconch whorl. Fourth secondary spiral cord may appear on last whorl. Periphery mid-whorl, delimited by adapical primary cord. Axial ribs appear on second teleoconch whorl, rarely also on first whorl. Tubercles at intersections with primary spiral cords, occasionally also on secondary cords. Ten to 14 axial ribs on penultimate whorl, increasing in number on last whorl. Varices absent. Microsculpture on early teleoconch whorls of spiral rows of tiny pustules, becoming subobsolete on later whorls; spiral cords with tiny pits. Last whorl attains 40–47% of total height. Base delimited by two peribasal cords, adapical cord stronger, three further weaker cords over fasciole. Aperture wide, subcircular. Columella excavated. Columellar callus forming thin, moderately narrow rim. Anal canal indistinct, broad. Outer lip thin. Siphonal canal very short, wide. Discussion. This species is most close to the Chokrakian Bittium agibelicum (Zhizhchenko, 1936), Bittium nabokovorum nom. nov. and Bittium orientale (Andrussow, 1911). It differs from B. agibelicum in its smaller, shorter and broader shell with lower whorls, with thin secondary cords above the primary cords. It differs from B. nabokovorum in its longer protoconch, fewer and spirally elongated beads, persistent and more numerous secondary sculpture, and it differs from B. orientale in its longer protoconch, smaller and shorter shell and the presence of secondary sculpture. Bittium badzoshviliae sp. nov. differs from its assumed precursor Bittium acutum Ossaulenko, 1936 in that the secondary sculpture is much weaker than the primary, the clearly bicarinate whorls, and the well-developed cords and beads persisting on the entire teleoconch. Paleoenvironment. Shallow marine, inner neritic based on the associated fauna (own data A.G.). Distribution. Restricted to the early Maeotian of the Eastern Paratethys Sea. Eastern Paratethys. Early Maeotian (Late Miocene): Black Sea Lowland:Don River in Nizhnegnilovskoi district of Rostov-on-Don (Rostov Region, Russia); Ciscaucasia: Krymsk, Shebsh river near Grigor’evskaya, Sheptal’skii (Krasnodar Krai, Russia); Yaryksu river near Novolakskii (Chechnya, Russia); Transcaucasia: Galidzga and Otap rivers (Abkhazia), Tkhinvali (Georgia); Cəngi, Qobustan (former Mərəzə) (Azerbaijan) (Badzoshvili 1979, 1986; Iljina et al. 1976, hoc opus).