Header Image
Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium paumotense

(Pease, 1868)

Description:

Dimensions range from 5.1 mm - 9 mm high and 2 mm - 5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.39:1 ~ 0.56:1

Shell: pyramidal, somewhat stout; thick, smooth; minute to small. Exterior colour white. About 11 whorls, rounded, narrowly separated; protoconch with ~4 whorls glassy, rounded, fifth protoconch whorl shows evidence of early costae; teleoconch with 5-7 whorls rounded. Suture deep. Imperforate. Approximately 5 - 9 costae on the body whorl. Costae are stout, regular. Costae aligned from whorl to whorl; continuous from whorl to whorl; reflexed. Intercostal spaces spiral threads between costae require magnification, fine, raised. Interstices with approximately 50 spiral striae per whorl. Aperture ovate, nearly circular, lip entire, slightly reflected near left side of aperture,.


Distribution:

Hawaii, French Polynesia, Australia, Philippines, Thailand; Japan, Okinawa, Ogasawara islands; Pakistan [DuShane, 1988e:5]; Gulf of Thailand [Wells et al., 2021:128]; GIlbert Islands, Fiji [Tryon, 1887:65].


Habitat:

intertidal [DuShane, 1988e:5] to 120m [arsint.com, 2023].


Etymology:

from Paumotus, now Taumotu Archipelago, the locality of the holotype.


SpeciesImage

arsint.com (2023).

6,05 mm
Manihi Atoll,Tuamotu

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Type Material:

Lectotype selected by H. Rehder but was never published; DuShane [1988e:5] selected two specimens re-catalogued ANSP 352473.

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.
Epitonium paumotense (Pease, 1868)LectotypeANSP 19581, re-catalogued352473. Paumoto (Tuamoto Archipelago), French Polynesia. [DuShane, 1988e: 5].Type'Paumotos' (Tuamoto Archipelago), French Polynesia. [Higo et al., 1999: 224].
Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1867LectotypeANSP 19581. Paumotus, [Brown & Neville, 2015: 119].


Pease, W. H. (1868).
Species Image
Plate 24. Fig. 11.
Species Image
pp: 289.
original description
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1868
Species Image
Plate 13. Fig. 16.
Species Image
pp: 65.
DuShane, H. (1988e).
Species Image
pp: 5.
Parviscala paumotensis (Pease, 1867)
lectotype: ANSP 19581
L 9 mm, W 4 mm
arsint.com (2023).
Species Image
7.7 mm,
Aliguay Island, Philippines
60-120 m. 2003.
arsint.com (2023).
Species Image
6,05 mm
Manihi Atoll,Tuamotu
Species Image
6,05 mm
Manihi Atoll,Tuamotu

Synonymy:

Epitonium (Parviscala) paumotense (Pease, 1867) [Huang & Lee, 2016: 18]
Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1867 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 119]
Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1868 [Tryon, 1887: 65]


Source Literature:

arsint.com (2023). Shells for Sale:Epitonidae. arsint.com. http://www.arsint.com/seashells_epitoniidae_opalia.html [Accessed 21 October 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]
Conchology.be (2023). Epitonium paumotense [www.conchology.be]. www.conchology.be. www.conchology.be. https://www.conchology.be/?t=116&aphia=523944&uniquenumber=255385 [Accessed 1 September 2023]
DuShane, H. (1988e). Hawaiian Epitoniidae pt.4. Hawaiian Shell News. 36(7). https://storage.googleapis.com/conchology-general-images/images/hsn/pdf/1988/8807.pdf [Accessed 29 October 2025]
DuShane, H. (1990). Hawaiian Epitoniidae. Hawaiian Shell News. 38(Sup.1). Hawaiian Malacological Society
Gemert L van (2003). Marine schelpen verzamelen op Ko Samui (Golf van Thailand). De Kreukel. 39
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]
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]
Kay, E. A. (1979). Hawaiian marine shells: Reef and shore fauna of Hawaii section 4. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication. 64(4). Bishop Museum Press.. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL4750994M/Hawaiian_marine_shells [Accessed 24 July 2026]
Pease, W. H. (1868). Description of sixty-five new species of marine Gastropodae, inhabiting Polynesia. American Journal of Conchology. 3(4). https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6659055 [Accessed 20 March 2025]
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
Wells, E., Sanpanich, K., Tan, S. K, & Duangdee, T. (2021). The Marine and Estuarine Molluscs of Thailand. Lee Kong Chian natural History Museum
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