Epitonium pallasi pallasi

(Kiener, 1838)

Description:

Dimensions range from 7.31 mm - 40 mm high and 5.08 mm - 27.01 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.69:1 ~ 0.68:1

Shell: broadly fusiform; small to medium. Exterior colour yellow or chestnut, fawn or pale-brown, costae white. About 8 whorls, connected at the suture, a little disunited; teleoconch with 7 whorls. Suture perforated. Umbilicate: widely open. Approximately 6 - 16 costae on the body whorl. Costae are blade-like, prominent, widely spaced. Costae with a small tooth- like projection at the upper angle. Intercostal spaces with microscopic spiral striae. Aperture oval-subquadrate.

Axial costae of E. pallasi pallasi are hooked and numerous while those of E. pallasi neglectum are fewer in number and rather roundly shaped at the suture

Distribution:

Sagami Bay to Tosa Bay, Japan; Taiwan, Philippines to Australia [Nakayama, 203:41]. Mauritius [Tryon 1879: 54], Seychells [Melvil 1909]

Habitat:

50-320m, sand v

Etymology:

Named for the Prussian zoologist, Peter Simon Pallas who published a drawing of the shell in 'Spicilegia zoologica' (1774) Vol. 10. Tab III, Fig 5-6

Type Material:

Catanauan, Luzon Island, Philippines for Epitonium pallasi pallasi (Kiener, 1838). [Nakayama, T., 2003]
not given. [as Scalaria nicobarica 'Beck' G.B. Sowerby II, 1844] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
none designated. [as Scalaria notha Menke, 1828:] - Locality: i

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxii. Fig. 14, 15 ,16.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Pallas, P.S. (1774).

Plate III. Fig. 5.

Pallas- original images

Plate III. Fig. 6.

Pallas- original images

pp: 33.

Pallas- original description
Turso principalis is shown in figures 5 and 6. It is related to Turbo scalaris, made famous by the obsession of certain wealthy collectors. This species is considered rarer and more valuable than the common one, from which it differs scarcely at all, except by being less thick and having more than twice as many longitudinal sutures. Its colour is also white, like the other, and its shell is delicate, with loosely coiled whorls, connected only at the sutures, a notable feature.

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

Plate xxxii. Fig. 14, 15 ,16.

pp: 83-84.

Plate xxxii. Fig. 14, 15 ,16.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874).

Shown in text as Scalaria pallasii

Plate vi. Fig. 40a.

Plate vi. Fig. 40b.

Kiener, L. C., & Fischer, P (1873).

Plate 2. Fig. 3a.

Plate 2. Fig. 3b.

pp: 4-5.

Tryon, G.W. (1879).

Plate 11. Fig. 33.

pp: 54.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Plate 16. Fig. 2.

pp: 59.

Shell pyramidal, perforate, pale yellowish or brownish between the varices; whorls seven, slightly disjointed; varices lamellar, prominent, widely spaced, regularly following each other, bluntly angled near the suture.

Shell pyramidal, umbilicated (perforated), pale yellow or brown in the spaces between the longitudinal folds; whorls seven, barely connected, rounded; longitudinal folds leaf-like, prominent, somewhat widely spaced, regular, continuous with those of the preceding whorls, and drawn into a blunt angle near the suture. Aperture rounded, lip thickened.

Habitat: East Indies (Stuttgart Museum), Philippines.

Kaicher, S. (1972).

Card #: EP1-2382.

Garcia, E.F. (2003).

pp: 19. Fig. 65.

65: Epitonium (Epitonium) pallasi (Kiener,
1838). Philippines, 12°20'N, 12r22'E, 673-675 m, [MUSORSTOM 3: CP122,], length 40 mm.

Nakayama, T. (2003).

pp: 123. Plate 10. Fig. 22.

fig. 22: Epitonium (Epitonium) pallasiipallasii (Kiener, 1838)
height 30.9 mm; breadth 19.4 mm (KC)

Synonymy:

Scalaria ferruginea Mörch, 1852: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria nicobarica 'Beck' G.B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria notha Menke, 1828: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria pallas Perry, 1811: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria pallasii [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1873-1874].
Scalaria pallasii Kiener, 1838: ~ Scalaria ferruginea Mörch, 1852; ~ Scalaria nicobarica

Source Literature:

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]
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]
Garcia, E.F. (2003). New records of Indo-Pacific Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) with the description of nineteen new specie. Novapex. 4 (Hors-série 1). http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42322472 [Accessed 26 August 2023]
Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (1999). Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-Bearing Mollusca of Japan.. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266375656_Catalogue_and_Bibliography_of_the_Marine_Shell-Bearing_Mollusca_of_Japan [Accessed 25 July 2025]
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]
Kiener, L. C., & Fischer, P (1873). Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes comprenant la collection du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Paris: la collection Lamarck, celle du prince Masséna (appartenant maintenant a M.B. Delessert) et les découvertes récentes des voyageurs. 10. J.B.Baillière et Fils. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/19879 [Accessed 19 April 2025]
Melvill, J. C. (1909). Report on the Marine Mollusca obtained by Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, F.R.S., among the Islands of the Indian Ocean in 1905.. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 13. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/57882 [Accessed 18 August 2025]
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Pallas, P.S. (1774). Spicilegia zoologica. Spicilegia zoologica : quibus novae imprimis et obscurae animalium species iconibus, descriptionibus atque commentariis illustrantur. 10. Prostant apud Gottl. August. Lange.. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.39832 [Accessed 20 April 2025]
Schepman, M.M. (1909). The Prosobranchia of the Siboga Expedition. Part 2. Taenioglossa and Ptenoglossa. E.J. Brill,Leyden. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34314807 [Accessed 27 July 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]
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, vol. 19, pls 1-16 and unpaginated text.. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819 [Accessed 24 August 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]
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999). The Wentletrap Book. Evolver
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Epitonium pallasi pallasi

(Kiener, 1838)

Description:

Distribution:

Sagami Bay to Tosa Bay, Japan; Taiwan, Philippines to Australia [Nakayama, 203:41]. Mauritius [Tryon 1879: 54], Seychells [Melvil 1909]

Habitat:

50-320m, sand v

Etymology:

Named for the Prussian zoologist, Peter Simon Pallas who published a drawing of the shell in 'Spicilegia zoologica' (1774) Vol. 10. Tab III, Fig 5-6

Type Material:

Catanauan, Luzon Island, Philippines for Epitonium pallasi pallasi (Kiener, 1838). [Nakayama, T., 2003]not given. [as Scalaria nicobarica 'Beck' G.B. Sowerby II, 1844] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]none designated. [as Scalaria notha Menke, 1828:] - Locality: i

Distribution

Pallas, P.S. (1774).

Plate III. Fig. 5.

Pallas- original images

Plate III. Fig. 6.

Pallas- original images

pp: 33.

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

Plate xxxii. Fig. 14, 15 ,16.

pp: 83-84.

Plate xxxii. Fig. 14, 15 ,16.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874).

Shown in text as Scalaria pallasii

Plate vi. Fig. 40a.

Plate vi. Fig. 40b.

Kiener, L. C., & Fischer, P (1873).

Plate 2. Fig. 3a.

Plate 2. Fig. 3b.

pp: 4-5.

Tryon, G.W. (1879).

Plate 11. Fig. 33.

pp: 54.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Plate 16. Fig. 2.

pp: 59.

Kaicher, S. (1972).

Card #: EP1-2382.

Garcia, E.F. (2003).

pp: 19. Fig. 65.

65: Epitonium (Epitonium) pallasi (Kiener, 1838). Philippines, 12°20'N, 12r22'E, 673-675 m, [MUSORSTOM 3: CP122,], length 40 mm.

Nakayama, T. (2003).

pp: 123. Plate 10. Fig. 22.

fig. 22: Epitonium (Epitonium) pallasiipallasii (Kiener, 1838) height 30.9 mm; breadth 19.4 mm (KC)

Synonymy:

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Catanauan, Luzon Island, Philippines for Epitonium pallasi pallasi (Kiener, 1838). [Nakayama, T., 2003]
not given. [as Scalaria nicobarica 'Beck' G.B. Sowerby II, 1844] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
none designated. [as Scalaria notha Menke, 1828:] - Locality: i

65: Epitonium (Epitonium) pallasi (Kiener,
1838). Philippines, 12°20'N, 12r22'E, 673-675 m, [MUSORSTOM 3: CP122,], length 40 mm.

fig. 22: Epitonium (Epitonium) pallasiipallasii (Kiener, 1838)
height 30.9 mm; breadth 19.4 mm (KC)