Late Miocene Conidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Crete (Greece). Part 1: genera Conilithes Swainson, 1840 and Conus (Kalloconus) da Motta, 1991

Conidae is a diverse family of carnivorous marine gastropods. They rapidly diversified during the Miocene and now they inhabit tropical subtropical seas. Here we attempt to provide first inventory fossil conids from late Crete (Greece). This paper deals with genera Conilithes Conus (Kalloconus) da Motta, 1991 will be followed by papers presenting other family. Using UV light, described residual colour patterns eleven species, which three are new: herodus n. sp., helladicus sp asterousiaensis sp. One species in open nomenclature: sp.. Six recorded Crete: brezinae (Hoernes & Auinger, 1879), striatulus (Brocchi, 1814), neumayri Hoernes 1879, hendricksi (Harzhauser Landau, 2016), gulemani Erünal-Erentöz, 1958 letkesensis Landau 2016). antidiluvianus (Bruguière, 1792) only already past Greek authors. Firstly, our study reveals that two restricted (Conilithes sp.). Secondly, found deep relationships conid assemblage Langhian Paratethys (six shared species). result could interpreted as fauna, present widely distributed since Langhian-Serravallian both eastern Proto-Mediterranean. fauna disappeared Serravallian, but probably persisted Proto-Mediterranean, suggested Serravallian Turkey Tortonian (this work). On hand, weak Neogene Italy might biased because, for comparison Italian faunas, used works illustrated without light.