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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium babylonia

(Dall, 1889)

Description:

Dimensions range from 6.2 mm - 30 mm high and 4.5 mm - 6.5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.73:1 ~ 0.22:1

Shell: elongate; thin; minute to moderately small. Exterior colour white, flat china-white. About 17.5 whorls, rounded whorls; protoconch with ~2.5 whorls glass-like and smooth, lost in holotype; teleoconch with 13.5-15 whorls. Spire greatly extended and with angle of 15 - 22 degrees. Suture very deep. Imperforate: completely occluded by the parietal shield. Approximately 25 costae on the body whorl. Costae are low, blade-like, thin, sharp. Costae strongly angled or hooked near the whorl shoulder. Intercostal spaces with sculpture of fine spiral and axial threads producing a cancellate pattern. Base without basal disk or cordon. Columella short and straight. Aperture subcircular, small, lip thin, narrow, hardly reflected, tortuous and a little patulous at the anterior end. Operculum unknown.

Weil et al. [1999, p. 20] observed that this species is similar to E. dallianum (Verrill & S. Smith [in Verrill], 1880) and E. fractum Dall, 1927, but differs in having spiral sculpture of fine threads


Distribution:

North Carolina, south to Cuba [Clench & Turner 1952: 315 and Weil et al., 1999:20] and; Northern Brazil to Pernambuco State [de Oliveira and Rocha-Barreira, 2009: 122].


Habitat:

121-1337 m [Clench & Turner 1952: 315].


Etymology:

.


Type Material:

Holotype: USNM 83723 for Epitonium babylonia (Dall, 1889). [Kaicher, S.D., 1983]
Holotype of EH. babylonium is inthe United States National Museum, no. 83723, Albatross, station 2678 (N. Lat. 82°40'; W. Long. 76°40') for Epitonium babylonia (Dall, 1889) - Type Locality: in 731 fathoms, about 160 miles due east of Charleston, South Carolina.. [Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D., 1952b]
Holotype: USNM 83723 for Epitonium babylonia (Dall, 1889) - Type Locality: ALBATROSS station 2678, 160 miles due east of Charleston, South Carolina, 32° 40'N, 76° 40'W, 731 fms [= 1337 m], light gray ooze.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]


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Dall, W. H. (1890). Plate XI. Fig. 8.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Dall, W. H. (1889a).
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pp: 311-312.
Dall, W. H. (1889b).
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Plate XLII. Fig. 8.
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pp: 124.
Dall, W. H. (1890).
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Plate XI. Fig. 8.
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pp: 332.
Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1952b).
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pp: 315. Plate 150. Fig. 1-2.
Plate 150. Epitonium babylonium Dall
Fig. 1. From 160 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, Albatross, station 2678. Holotype (3.3x).
Fig. 2. From off Bahia de Cardenas, Cuba (7x).
Kaicher, S.D. (1983).
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Card #: EP3-3653.
Huang, C. W. & Lee, Y.C. (2016).
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pp: 11.
E. (Asperiscala) babylonium (Dall 1889), 12.8×4.5mm
(Clench & Turner 1952, p315, figs 1

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]
Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1952b). The Genus Epitonium in the Western Atlantic pt 2. Jonsonia. 2(31). The Department of Mollusks Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41155986#page/303/mode/1up [Accessed 25 June 2023]
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]
Dall, W. H. (1889b). Report on the Mollusca. Part II. Gastropoda and Scaphopoda. In Reports on the results of dredging by the U.S. Coast Survey Steamer "Blake". United States National Museum Bulletin. 37. Government Printing Office. https://ia800603.us.archive.org/22/items/bulletinunit71889unit/bulletinunit71889unit.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com [Accessed 2 May 2026]
Dall, W. H. (1890). Scientific results of explorations by the U. S. Fish Commission Steamer "Albatross". No. VII. Preliminary report on the collection of Mollusca and Brachiopoda obtained in 1887-88. Proceedings of the United States National Museum.. 12(773). http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15738824 [Accessed 9 May 2026]
de Oliveira, F.M.R & Rocha-Barreira, C.d A, (2009). On the family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in North and Northeast Brazil. Arquivos de Ciencias do Mar. 42(1)
Huang, C. W. & Lee, Y.C. (2016). Checklist of the family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Taiwan with description of a new species and some new records. Biodiversity Data Journal. 4. doi: 10.3897/ BDJ.4.e5653 [Accessed 25 August 2023]
Kaicher, S.D. (1983). Epitoniidae III [Pack 35]. S. D. Kaicher, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.femorale.com/kaicher/species.asp?f=Epitoniidae&c=125 [Accessed 8 May 2023]
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