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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium paumotense

(Pease, 1867)

Description:

Dimensions range from 5.1 mm - 9 mm high and 2 mm - 4 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.39:1 ~ 0.44:1

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; reflexed; joining costae above and riding into the suture. 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, 1988:5]; GIlbert ISlands, Fiji [Tryon, 1887:65]


Habitat:

intertidal to 120m [arsint.com, 2023:]


Etymology:

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


Type Material:

lectotype: ANSP 19581 designated by DuShane, 1988: 5 [as Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1867:] - Type Locality: Paumotus.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Lectotype: ANSP 19581, lectotype selected by H. Rehder but never published; designated herein by DuShane. Two specimens re-catalogued ANSP 352473. for Epitonium paumotense (Pease, 1867) - Type Locality: Paumoto (Tuamoto Archipelago). [DuShane, H., 1988e]


SpeciesImage

arsint.com (2023).

6,05 mm
Manihi Atoll,Tuamotu

Distribution

as listed in source literature

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:

Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1867: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria paumotensis Pease, 1868 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].


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
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]
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
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record