Acirsa borealis

(Lyell, 1841)

Description:

Dimensions range from 9 mm - 60 mm high and 5 mm - 22 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.56:1 ~ 0.37:1

Shell: attenuate, pyramidal; thin, fragile, chalky; small to medium. Exterior colour pale grey-fulvous, to brownish. About 13 whorls, convex; protoconch with ~2 whorls smooth; teleoconch with 8-11 whorls moderately convex, a little attenuated. Spire extended with angle of 22 - 28 degrees. Suture moderately to slightly impressed. Imperforate. Approximately 8 costae on the body whorl. Costae are low, weak almost absent on the body whorl. Costae discontinuous, do not cross the suture. Intercostal spaces with irregular, impressed spiral striae. Interstices with approximately 15 spiral striae per whorl. Base basal disk strong, elevated, encircled with an obtuse keel. Columella margin thickened and slightly reflexed. Aperture subcircular, ovate, lip simple; peristome incomplete; outer lip thin. Operculum chitinous, paucispiral. Periostracum appears to be deciduous.

Distribution:

Artic seas [Kaicher, 1980: EP1-2372]. In the Atlantic: Massachusetts north to Nova Scotia, and Greenland [DuShane, 1979b: 96]; Hudson Bay, N Canada [Bouchet & Warén, 1986: 528]; Sweden [Lyell, 1841: 136]. In the northern Pacific: Hokkaido to Boso Peninsula, Japan [Nakayama, 2003: 103]; Sea of Okhotsk and the Aleutian Islands, Alaska [DuShane, 1979b: 96]; Straits of Fuca to San Diego [Arnold, 1903: 266].

Habitat:

low water [Weil et al., 1999:12] to 100m [Nakayama, 2003: 103].

Etymology:

[latin] borealis = northern or of the north in reference to the distribution of the species.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxv. Fig. 136.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Type Material:

Lyell [1835: 37] figured an unnamed species, noting its resemblance to a worn Scalaria but suggesting that it might belong to Turritella; he subsequently described the species as Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841 [Lyell, 1841: 136].

Bouchet & Warén [1986: 528] designated a specimen of Scalaria eschrichti Höllböll in Möller, 1842 as lectotype, with four paralectotypes, all held in the Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen.

Rosenberg [2011: 101] designated the specimen figured by Lyell [1835: pl. 2, fig. 11] as lectotype of Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841; its depository is unknown, and Lyell's figure 12 presumably depicts the same specimen.

Brown & Neville [2015: 58] noted that Mighels's original type material was lost in the 1854 fire at the Portland Society of Natural History. An idiotype supplied by Mighels survives as MCZ 165598, as recorded by Clench & Turner [1950a: 230], but Brown & Neville noted that Clench & Turner's action did not constitute designation of a neotype under ICZN Article 75.3. The MCZ online catalogue, however, records MCZ 165598 as a lectotype [Harvard University, 2018: Mala: 165598].

The following list brings together type material and other cited specimens as reported in the sources examined, grouped under the names and designations used in each source. The same specimen may appear in multiple entries drawn from different sources. Some entries concern other species included by authors for comparison; inclusion in this list does not imply synonymy.

Acirsa borealis (Lyell, 1841)HolotypeUddevalla, Sweden. [DuShane, 1979b: 96].HypotypeMCZ 187118. Greenland. [DuShane, 1979b: 96].
Acirsa (Acirsa) costulata (Mighels & Adams, 1842)TypeMassachusetts, USA. [Nakayama, 2003: 103].
Acirsa costulata Mighels and Adams, 1842CotypeMCZ no. 187118. from Greenland, Greenland. [Clench & Turner, 1950a: 229].IdiotypeMCZ 165598. from Massachusetts, USA. Collected by: J. W. Mighels. [Clench & Turner, 1950a: 229].
Acirsa eschrichti (Holböll in Möller, 1842)LectotypeZMC. [Bouchet & Warén, 1986: 528].ParalectotypeS. eschrichti, Lectotype. [4 specimens]. [Bouchet & Warén, 1986: 528].
Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841LectotypeUSNM. [Rosenberg, 2011: 101].
Scalaria eschrichti Höllböll in Möller, 1842LectotypeZMC. Davis Strait, Greenland. as restricted by Bouchet & Warén (loc. cit.). [Brown & Neville, 2015: 69].ParalectotypeZMC. Davis Strait, Greenland. as restricted by Bouchet & Warén (loc. cit.). [4 specimens]. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 69].
Scalaria ochotensis Middendorff, 1849HolotypeSouth coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia. [DuShane, 1979b: 96].
Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844Type not locatedno location given, [Brown & Neville, 2015: 156].
Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. AdamsLectotypeMCZ: 165598. Massachusetts,, USA. Ex, J.W.Mighels. [Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, 2018: Mala: 165598].
Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams, 1842HolotypeMassachusetts, USA. [DuShane, 1979b: 96].NeotypeMCZ 165598. Georges Bank, Massachusetts, USA. [DuShane, 1979b: 96].IdiotypeMCZ, 165598. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 58].Type destroyedCasco Bay, Maine, USA. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 58].

Lyell, C. (1835).

Shown in text as Unnamed species, cf. Scalaria

Plate 2. Fig. 11-12.

the species is unamed, but is figured with the following text "This shell is very like a worn Scalaria, but perhaps belongs to the genus Turritella."

pp: 37.

Lyell, C. (1841).

Shown in text as Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841

Plate II. Fig. 11, 12.

figures from Lyell, C. (1835). I. The Bakerian Lecture.

pp: 136.

Mighels, J. W. & Adams, C. B (1842).

Shown in text as Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams, 1842

Plate IB. Fig. 20.

pp: 50.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).

Shown in text as Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844

Plate xxxv. Fig. 136.

pp: 104.

Praeger, R. L. (1870).

Shown in text as Acrisa borealis Beck

pp: 92.

Reeve, L. A. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria eschrichti Holböll

Plate xi. Fig. 83.

Reeve, L. A. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844

Plate xiv. Fig. 108.

Verrill, A. E. (1882).

Shown in text as Acirsa costulata (Mighels, 1841)

pp: 332.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams

Plate 16. Fig. 12.

S. Eschrichti (Holb.), Möller (fig. 12)

Plate 16. Fig. 18.

S. undulata, Sowb. (fig. 18).

pp: 80.

Dall, W. H. (1889).

Shown in text as Scala (Acirsa) costulata Mighels, 1841

pp: 307.

pp: 308.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Shown in text as Scalaria eschrichti Holböll

Plate 1. Fig. 8.

Scalaria escherichti

pp: 7.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Shown in text as Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II

Plate 11. Fig. 6.

Arnold, R. (1903).

Shown in text as Opalia borealis Gould

pp: 279.

Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1950a).

Shown in text as Acirsa costulata Mighels and Adams, 1842

pp: 230. Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Acirsa costulata Mighels and Adams, idiotype (6x).

DuShane, H. (1979b).

pp: 99. Fig. 1.

Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841. F
rom Dall, 1921: pit. 13, fig. 10
length, 19mm; width, 6.5 mm X 2.9

Bouchet, P. & Warén, A. (1986).

Shown in text as Acirsa eschrichti (Holböll in Möller, 1842)

pp: 527. Fig. 1225.

1225, A. eschrichti, Davis Strait, lectotype, 20.1 mm.

Rosenberg, G (2011).

Shown in text as Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841

pp: 101. Fig. 1.

Original igure of Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841, irst published in Lyell (1835, pl. 2, igs. 11-12).

Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology (2018).

Shown in text as Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams

Fig. Mala: 165598.

Acirsa borealis (Lyell, 1841)
Lectotype: MCZ:Mala:165598
Massachusetts
Credit: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Copyright: President and Fellows of Harvard College
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Synonymy:

Acirsa (Acirsa) costulata (Mighels & Adams, 1842) [Nakayama, 2003: 103]
Acirsa costulata (Mighels, 1841) [Verrill, 1882b: 332]
Acirsa costulata Mighels and Adams, 1842 [Clench & Turner, 1950a: 229]
Acirsa eschrichti (Holböll in Möller, 1842) [Bouchet & Warén, 1986: 528; Weil et al., 1999: 12]
Acrisa borealis Beck [Praeger, 1870: 92]
Opalia (Opalia) borealis Keep, 1881 [Weil et al., 1999: 162]
Opalia borealis Gould [Arnold, 1903: 266]
Scala (Acirsa) costulata Mighels, 1841 [Dall, 1889a: 307]
Scalaria (Psychrosoma) gouldi Tapparone-Canefri, 1876 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 78]
Scalaria arctica Möller Posselt, 1898 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 40]
Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841 [Lyell, 1841: 136; Rosenberg, 2011: 101]
Scalaria eschrichti Holböll [Reeve, 1873: pl. 9, fig. 83; Clessin, 1897: 7]
Scalaria eschrichti Höllböll in Möller, 1842 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 69]
Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II [Clessin, 1897: 38]
Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [Sowerby, 1844: 104; Brown & Neville, 2015: 156; Reeve, 1873: pl. 14, fig. 108]
Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams [Tryon, 1887: 80; Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, 2018: Mala: 165598]
Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams, 1842 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 58; Mighels & Adams, 1842: 50]
Unnamed species, cf. Scalaria [Lyell, 1835: 37]

Source Literature:

Arnold, R. (1903). The paleontology and stratigraphy of the marine Pliocene and Pleistocene of San Pedro, Califonia. Reprinted from the Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences. 3. San Francisco: The Academy.. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015061970516 [Accessed 7 January 2026]
Bouchet, P. & Warén, A. (1986). Revision of the Northeast Atlantic bathyal and abyssal Aclididae Eulimidae, Epitonidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda).. Bollettino Malacologico.. suppl. 2. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/140762 [Accessed 21 September 2023]
Brown, L. & Neville, B.D. (2015). Catalog of the recent taxa of the families Epitoniidae and Nystiellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) with a bibliography of the descriptive and systematic literature. Zootaxa. 3907(1). Magnolia Press Auckland, New Zealand. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3907.1.1 [Accessed 22 October 2023]
Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1950a). The Genera Sthenorytis, Circostrema, Acirsa, Opalia and Amaea in the Western Atlantic. Jonsonia. 2(19-32). The Department of Mollusks, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Clessin, S. (1897). Die Familie der Scalariidae. In W. Kobelt (Ed.), Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Neu herausgegeben und vervollständigt. 2(13). Bauer & Raspe, NürnbergBauer & Raspe, Nürnberg. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34259905 [Accessed 21 June 2025]
Dall, W. H. (1889a). Reports on the results of dredging, under the supervision of Alexander Agassiz, in the Gulf of Mexico (1877-78) and in the Caribbean Sea (1879-80), by the U.S. Coast Survey Steamer "Blake", Lieut.-Commander C.D. Sigsbee, U.S.N., and Commander J.R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding. XXIX. Report on the Mollusca. Part 2, Gastropoda and Scaphopoda.. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College. 18. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/25505 [Accessed 14 August 2025]
DuShane, H. (1979b). The Family Epitoniidae in the Northeastern Pacific. The Veliger. 22(2). California Malacozoological Society, Inc.. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/134937#page/7/mode/1up [Accessed 28 June 2023]
Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology (2018). MCZbase, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Occurrence Dataset. http://digir.mcz.harvard.edu/ipt/resource?r=mczbase. https://doi.org/10.15468/p5rupv. [Accessed 5 August 2026]
Kaicher, S.D. (1980). Epitoniidae I [Pack 23]. S. D. Kaicher, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.femorale.com/kaicher/species.asp?f=Epitoniidae&c=125 [Accessed 8 May 2023]
Lyell, C. (1835). I. The Bakerian Lecture. —On the proofs of a gradual rising of the land certain parts of Sweden.. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 125. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstl.1835.0002 [Accessed 2 June 2025]
Lyell, C. (1841). Remarks on some fossil and Recent shells, collected by Captain Bayfield, R.N., in Canada.. Transactions of the Geological Society of London.. 6(1). Geological Society of London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36207941 [Accessed 2 June 2025]
Mighels, J. W. & Adams, C. B (1842). Descriptions of twenty-four new species of New England shells. Boston Journal of Natural History. 4. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pdf4/1927541i00027851.pdf
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Praeger, R. L. (1870). The Marine Shells of Northern Ireland. Annual Reports and Proceedings of the Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club, Appendices. The Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/289758 [Accessed 8 October 2025]
Reeve, L. A. (1873). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animal. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819 [Accessed 24 August 2023]
Rosenberg, G. (2011). A Boreal Affair: Acirsa borealis (Lyell, 1841) and Opalia borealis (Gould, 1852) (Mollusca: Epitoniidae). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.. 161(1). DOI:10.2307/41445997 [Accessed 15 August 2025]
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Monograph of the genus Scalaria.. Thesaurus conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells.. 1 (4). London, privately published.. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11076419 [Accessed 22 June 2023]
Tryon, G.W. (1887). Manual of conchology, structural and systematic with illustrations of the species. IX. Academy of Natural Sciences. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11026889 [Accessed 20 September 2025]
Verrill, A. E. (1882b). Notice of recent additions to the Marine Invertebrata of the North-eastern Coast of America, with descriptions of new genera and species, and critical remarks on others. Part IV. Additions to the deep-water Mollusca taken off Martha’s Vineyard, in 1880 and 1881. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 5. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.284.315 [Accessed 25 August 2026]
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999). The Wentletrap Book. Evolver
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ. [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Acirsa borealis

(Lyell, 1841)

Description:

Distribution:

Habitat:

low water [Weil et al., 1999:12] to 100m [Nakayama, 2003: 103].

Etymology:

[latin] borealis = northern or of the north in reference to the distribution of the species.

Distribution

Type Material:

Lyell [1835: 37] figured an unnamed species, noting its resemblance to a worn Scalaria but suggesting that it might belong to Turritella; he subsequently described the species as Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841 [Lyell, 1841: 136].

Bouchet & Warén [1986: 528] designated a specimen of Scalaria eschrichti Höllböll in Möller, 1842 as lectotype, with four paralectotypes, all held in the Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen.

Rosenberg [2011: 101] designated the specimen figured by Lyell [1835: pl. 2, fig. 11] as lectotype of Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841; its depository is unknown, and Lyell's figure 12 presumably depicts the same specimen.

Lyell, C. (1835).

Shown in text as Unnamed species, cf. Scalaria

Plate 2. Fig. 11-12.

the species is unamed, but is figured with the following text "This shell is very like a worn Scalaria, but perhaps belongs to the genus Turritella."

pp: 37.

Lyell, C. (1841).

Shown in text as Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841

Plate II. Fig. 11, 12.

figures from Lyell, C. (1835). I. The Bakerian Lecture.

pp: 136.

Mighels, J. W. & Adams, C. B (1842).

Shown in text as Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams, 1842

Plate IB. Fig. 20.

pp: 50.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).

Shown in text as Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844

Plate xxxv. Fig. 136.

pp: 104.

Praeger, R. L. (1870).

Shown in text as Acrisa borealis Beck

pp: 92.

Reeve, L. A. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria eschrichti Holböll

Plate xi. Fig. 83.

Reeve, L. A. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844

Plate xiv. Fig. 108.

Verrill, A. E. (1882).

Shown in text as Acirsa costulata (Mighels, 1841)

pp: 332.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Turritella costulata Mighels & C. B. Adams

Plate 16. Fig. 12.

S. Eschrichti (Holb.), Möller (fig. 12)

Plate 16. Fig. 18.

S. undulata, Sowb. (fig. 18).

pp: 80.

Dall, W. H. (1889).

Shown in text as Scala (Acirsa) costulata Mighels, 1841

pp: 307.

pp: 308.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Shown in text as Scalaria eschrichti Holböll

Plate 1. Fig. 8.

Scalaria escherichti

pp: 7.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Shown in text as Scalaria undulata G. B. Sowerby II

Plate 11. Fig. 6.

Arnold, R. (1903).

Shown in text as Opalia borealis Gould

pp: 279.

Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1950a).

Shown in text as Acirsa costulata Mighels and Adams, 1842

pp: 230. Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Acirsa costulata Mighels and Adams, idiotype (6x).

DuShane, H. (1979b).

pp: 99. Fig. 1.

Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841. F rom Dall, 1921: pit. 13, fig. 10 length, 19mm; width, 6.5 mm X 2.9

Bouchet, P. & Warén, A. (1986).

Shown in text as Acirsa eschrichti (Holböll in Möller, 1842)

pp: 527. Fig. 1225.

1225, A. eschrichti, Davis Strait, lectotype, 20.1 mm.

Rosenberg, G (2011).

Shown in text as Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841

pp: 101. Fig. 1.

Original igure of Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841, irst published in Lyell (1835, pl. 2, igs. 11-12).

Scalaria borealis Lyell, 1841. F
rom Dall, 1921: pit. 13, fig. 10
length, 19mm; width, 6.5 mm X 2.9

Acirsa borealis (Lyell, 1841)
Lectotype: MCZ:Mala:165598
Massachusetts
Credit: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Copyright: President and Fellows of Harvard College
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0