Epitonium pallasi neglectum

(A. Adams & Reeve, 1850)

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: stout, broadly pyramidal; small to medium. Exterior colour fawn or pale-brown, costae white. About 8 whorls, separated, joined by the costae; teleoconch loosely coiled, with 4-8 whorls increasing rapidly. Suture deep, perforated. Umbilicate: wide and deep, rib extending into the umbilicus. Approximately 6 - 16 costae on the body whorl. Costae are sharp and high. Costae aligned; continuous across the suture; either bluntly angulate on the anterior or hooked at the suture. Intercostal spaces with microscopic spiral striae. Aperture oval, slightly reflexed on the anterior; peristome complete. Operculum oval.

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

Distribution:

Japan, Taiwan, south to the Philippines [Nakayama, 2003:43]; East China Sea [Higo et al., 1999:G1883]; Queensland, Australia [Wilson, 1993:379]

Habitat:

50-230m [Brown & Neville, 2015:111], sand [Higo et al., 1999:G1883]

Etymology:

[latin] from neglectus = having been neglected, ignored, or overlooked

Type Material:

China for Epitonium pallasi neglectum (A. Adams & Reeve, 1850). [Nakayama, T., 2003]
Holotype: NMW 1955.158.00078 [as Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885:] - Type Locality: China Sea (?).. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Holotype: NHMUK 1874.12.11.197 [as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850: ~ Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885.] - Type Locality: China Sea.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Holotype: NMW.1955.158.00078 National Museum Wales [as Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885] - Type Locality: unknown, but probably China Seas. [Ablett J., Brown C., Gallichan J., Gordon D., Holmes A. M., Hunter T., Machin R., Morgenroth H., Oliver P. G., Petts R., Pye S., Reilly M., Rowson B., Salvador A., Sutcliffe R., Turner J. A,. & Wood H., 2019]
Type not indicated in text for Epitonium pallasi neglectum (A. Adams & Reeve, 1850) - Type Locality: China Sea. [Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y., 1999]

Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A. (1850b). Plate VI. Fig. 5.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A. (1850b).

Plate VI. Fig. 5.

pp: 51.

original description: Shell conical-turreted, deeply umbilicate, with seven to eight whorls, rounded, smooth, or, under magnification, minutely spirally impressed-striate; with somewhat distant, narrow, elevated, annular ribs, spinose-hooked near the sutures; aperture rounded, lip expanded; flesh-brownish in colour, with white ribs

Reeve, L.A. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate i. Fig. 1.

Fig. sp1.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate 11. Fig. 34.

Plate 11. Fig. 35.

pp: 55.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885

Plate 11. Fig. 35.

pp: 55.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Shown in text as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate 7. Fig. 6.

pp: 27.

Shell broadly pyramidal, perforate, pale yellow between the varices; whorls increasing rapidly, disjointed; varices somewhat numerous, rather thin, continuous; near the suture drawn out into spines.

Kaicher, S.D. (1980).

Card #: EP1-2388.

Considered by some workers merely a variety (or synonym) of pallasi and, by others, a good species; it differs by having more and strongly hooked costae per whorl; to 40

Card #: EP1-2388

NMW National Museum Wales (2025).

Shown in text as Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885

Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885
Holotype
Locality unknown, but probably China Seas
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, Cardiff (Melvill-Tomlin), NMW.1955.158.00078

Synonymy:

Epitonium neglectum (A. Adams & Reeve, 1850) · [in Wilson, B.R., 1993].
Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885 [in Ablett J., Brown C., Gallichan J., Gordon D., Holmes A. M., Hunter T., Machin R., Morgenroth H., Oliver P. G., Petts R., Pye S., Reilly M., Rowson B., Salvador A., Sutcliffe R., Turner J. A,. & Wood H., 2019].
Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].
Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Clessin, S., 1897].
Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Reeve, L.A., 1873].
Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].
Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850: ~ Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885. [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].

Source Literature:

Ablett J., Brown C., Gallichan J., Gordon D., Holmes A. M., Hunter T., Machin R., Morgenroth H., Oliver P. G., Petts R., Pye S., Reilly M., Rowson B., Salvador A., Sutcliffe R., Turner J. A,. & Wood H. (2019). Mollusca Types in Britain & Ireland. https://gbmolluscatypes.ac.uk [Accessed 31 March 2026]
Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A. (1850b). The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Samarang, under the command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., F.R.A.S., F.G.S., during the years 1843-1846. Reeve & Benham, London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39770936 [Accessed 1 April 2025]
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]
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]
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]
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
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]
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]
Wilson, B.R. (1993). Australian Marine Shells. Australian Marine Shells. 1. Odessey Publications
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 neglectum

(A. Adams & Reeve, 1850)

Description:

Distribution:

Japan, Taiwan, south to the Philippines [Nakayama, 2003:43]; East China Sea [Higo et al., 1999:G1883]; Queensland, Australia [Wilson, 1993:379]

Habitat:

50-230m [Brown & Neville, 2015:111], sand [Higo et al., 1999:G1883]

Etymology:

[latin] from neglectus = having been neglected, ignored, or overlooked

Type Material:

Distribution

Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A. (1850b).

Plate VI. Fig. 5.

pp: 51.

Reeve, L.A. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate i. Fig. 1.

Fig. sp1.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate 11. Fig. 34.

Plate 11. Fig. 35.

pp: 55.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885

Plate 11. Fig. 35.

pp: 55.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Shown in text as Scalaria neglecta A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate 7. Fig. 6.

pp: 27.

Shell broadly pyramidal, perforate, pale yellow between the varices; whorls increasing rapidly, disjointed; varices somewhat numerous, rather thin, continuous; near the suture drawn out into spines.

Kaicher, S.D. (1980).

Card #: EP1-2388.

Considered by some workers merely a variety (or synonym) of pallasi and, by others, a good species; it differs by having more and strongly hooked costae per whorl; to 40 Card #: EP1-2388

NMW National Museum Wales (2025).

Shown in text as Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885

Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885 Holotype Locality unknown, but probably China Seas Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, Cardiff (Melvill-Tomlin), NMW.1955.158.00078

Synonymy:

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Considered by some workers merely a variety (or synonym) of pallasi and, by others, a good species; it differs by having more and strongly hooked costae per whorl; to 40

Card #: EP1-2388

Scalaria inclyta Melvill, 1885
Holotype
Locality unknown, but probably China Seas
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, Cardiff (Melvill-Tomlin), NMW.1955.158.00078