Amaea retifera

(Dall, 1889)

Description:

Dimensions range from 4.9 mm - 80 mm high and 4.3 mm - 5.46 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.88:1 ~ 0.07:1

Shell: turriform, elongate; thin, strong; minute to medium. Exterior colour dull straw yellow to pale brown with two narrow light brownish bands. About 19 whorls, well rounded, shoulder angle well defined , attached; strongly sculptured; protoconch with ~3 whorls smooth, apex acute; teleoconch with 6-16 whorls convex, constricted. Suture deeply impressed. Imperforate. Approximately 28 - 32 costae on the body whorl. Costae are fairly high blade-like. Costae distinctly angled shoulders. Intercostal spaces with spiral ridges crossing the costae forming a reticulate pattern. Interstices with approximately 7 - 8 spiral striae per whorl. Base disc well developed, flat, sculptured with axial and spiral threads, delimited by prominent cord. Columella pure white, polished. Fasciole single, strong spiral. Aperture subcircular to ovate, lip thin, not reflected; outer lip thickened. Operculum subcircular, paucispiral, nucleus slightly eccentric.

Distribution:

North Carolina to Florida, Texas, Gulf of Mexico to Barbados; Columbia, Venezuela, Sirunam and Northern Brazil south to Pernambuco [Lima et al., 2011]; off western Sahara [Weil et al., 1999:12]

Habitat:

15 to 219 m [Tunnell et al., 2010] , soft substrate [Rosenberg et al., 2009:640]

Type Material:

Holotype (USNM 83733, not examined) - off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina for Amaea retifera (Dall, 1889) - Locality: off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. [Lima, S.F.B., Christofferse, M.L., Barros, J.C.N. & Folly, M., 2011]
Holotype, United States National Museum no. 83733, Albatross, station 2596 (N. Lat. 35°08'30'; W. Long. 75°10/00'') about 17 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in 49 fathoms.
for Amaea retifera (Dall, 1889). [Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D., 1952]

arsint.com (2023).

13.9 mm
East Colombia

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Dall, W. H. (1889).

pp: 312.

Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1952).

pp: 244. Plate 106. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Basal view to show sculpture. From off Carysfort Light, Key Largo, Florida (3x).

pp: 244. Plate 106. Fig. 2.

2. Off Sombrero Light, Marathon, Florida (3x).

Tunnell, J. W., Andrews, J., Barrera, N. C., & Moretzsohn, F. (2010).

pp: 189.

Lima, S.F.B., Christofferse, M.L., Barros, J.C.N. & Folly, M. (2011).

pp: 6. Fig. 5a.

arsint.com (2023).

13.9 mm
East Colombia

Synonymy:

Amaea retifera (Morch, 1874) [in de Oliveira, F.M.R & Rocha-Barreira, C.d A,, 2009].

Source Literature:

arsint.com (2023). Shells for Sale:Epitonidae. arsint.com. http://www.arsint.com/seashells_epitoniidae_opalia.html [Accessed 21 October 2023]
Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1952). The Genera STHENORYTIS, CIRSOTREMA, ACIRSA, OPALIA and AMAEA in the Western Atlantic. Jonsonia. 2(19-32). The department of MOLLUSKS, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Dall, W. H. (1889). 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]
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)
García, E. F. & Lee, H. G. (2002). Report on molluscan species found in the offshore waters of Louisiana, including many extensions of known range and unnamed species. American Conchologist. 30(4)
Lima, S.F.B., Christofferse, M.L., Barros, J.C.N. & Folly, M. (2011). Records and Descriptions of Epitoniidae (Orthogastropoda: Epitonioidea) from the Deep Sea off Northeastern Brazil and a Checklist of Epitonium and Opalia from the Atlantic Coast of South America. International Journal of Zoology. 2012. International Journal of Zoology. doi:10.1155/2012/394381 [Accessed 24 June 2023]
Rios, E.C. (1985). Seashells of Brazil. Fundação Universidade do Rio Grande.
Rosenberg, G., Moretzsohn, F. & García, E. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico: Its Origins, Waters, and Biota.Vol 1: Biodiversity. D. L. Felder & D. K. Camp, eds,. Texas A & M University Press
Tunnell, J. W., Andrews, J., Barrera, N. C., & Moretzsohn, F. (2010). Encyclopedia of Texas seashells. Encyclopedia of Texas seashells. Texas A&M University Press.
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

Amaea retifera

(Dall, 1889)

Description:

Distribution:

North Carolina to Florida, Texas, Gulf of Mexico to Barbados; Columbia, Venezuela, Sirunam and Northern Brazil south to Pernambuco [Lima et al., 2011]; off western Sahara [Weil et al., 1999:12]

Habitat:

15 to 219 m [Tunnell et al., 2010] , soft substrate [Rosenberg et al., 2009:640]

Type Material:

Distribution

Dall, W. H. (1889).

pp: 312.

Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D. (1952).

pp: 244. Plate 106. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Basal view to show sculpture. From off Carysfort Light, Key Largo, Florida (3x).

pp: 244. Plate 106. Fig. 2.

2. Off Sombrero Light, Marathon, Florida (3x).

Tunnell, J. W., Andrews, J., Barrera, N. C., & Moretzsohn, F. (2010).

pp: 189.

Lima, S.F.B., Christofferse, M.L., Barros, J.C.N. & Folly, M. (2011).

pp: 6. Fig. 5a.

arsint.com (2023).

13.9 mm East Colombia

Synonymy:

Amaea retifera (Morch, 1874) [in de Oliveira, F.M.R & Rocha-Barreira, C.d A,, 2009].

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

13.9 mm
East Colombia