Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium aculeatum

(G. B. Sowerby, 1844)

Description:

Dimensions range from 7.4 mm - 23 mm high and 4.2 mm - 9 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.57:1 ~ 0.39:1

Shell: elongate conical, narrow; quite solid; small to moderately small. Exterior colour white or pale fawn. About 9 whorls, disconnected, joined only by costae. Suture deep, slightly fenestrate. Umbilicate: slightly open, almost concealed by inner lip of aperture. Approximately 9 costae on the body whorl. Costae are rather thick, flat. Costae hooked at the suture; reflexed; continuous. Aperture ovate; outer lip posteriorly marginated and lobed; peristome complete. Operculum black, horny, paucispiral.

This species is close to E. pyramidale, but can be distinguished by its rather small size and its thin axial costae, which are not reflexed backwards.

Distribution:

Pacific coast and southern coast of Sea of Japan; Philippines, Hong Kong, Malacca Strait, Papua New Guinea; Torres Strait Australia, including Neptune Islands South Australia [Cotton & Godfrey, 1931]

Habitat:

intertidal to about 140m, sand [Higo et al. 1999] and hard mud [Brazier, 1875: 251]

Etymology:

[latin] from aculeus = thorn or sharp point, possibly in reference to the costae being pointed at the suture.

Type Material:

Hong Kong in China, the straits of Macassar, Malacca, and Araboyna. [as Scalaria aculeata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844]. [Sowerby, G. B. II., 1844]
NHMUK 1981034 (lectotype) designated by Kokshoorn et al. (2007: 39, fig. 7). [as Scalaria aculeata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844: ~ Epitonium moolenbeeki Van Aartsen, 1996.] - Locality: per G.B. Sowerby II (1844a 12), 'Hong Kong, China, Macassar, Malacca, Amboyna [=Ambon], Catanuan, Luzon, Philippines. Some specimens were taken at Bais, Negros Island, in coarse sand at six fathoms' [= 11 m].. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type not indicated in text for Epitonium aculeatum (G. B. Sowerby, 1844) - Locality: 'Hong Kong, China, et Macassar, Malacca, Amboyna (Indonesia) ... ad Bais, ins. Negros et at Catanauan, ins. Luzon (Philippines)'; 'Some specimens were taken at Bais, isle of Negros, in coarse sand at six fathoms'.. [Higo, S., Callomon, P. and Goto, Y., 1999]

SpeciesImage

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxii. Fig. 35.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

No species images found.

Synonymy:

Scalaria aculeata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Reeve, L., 1873].
Scalaria aculeata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1844].
Scalaria aculeata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844: ~ Epitonium moolenbeeki Van Aartsen, 1996. [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].

Source Literature:

Brazier, J. (1875). Shells collected during the Chevert Expedition, with Descriptions of the New Species. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 1(3). Linnean Society of New South Wales.. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/22887
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
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
Cotton, B.C. & Godfrey, F.K. (1931). South Australian Shells Part II. The South Australian Naturalist. 13(1). Field Naturalists Society of South Australia. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42129287
Higo, S., Callomon, P. and 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
Kaicher, S.D. (1981). Epitoniidae II [Pack 30]. S. D. Kaicher, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.femorale.com/kaicher/species.asp?f=Epitoniidae&c=125
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Reeve, L. (1873). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, vol. 19, pls 1-16 and unpaginated text.. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Monograph of the genus Scalaria.. Thesaurus conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells.. 1 (4). London, privately published.. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11076419
Verco, J.C. (1906). Notes on South Australian marine Mollusca, with descriptions of new species. Part IV.. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia. 30 Pt 4. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16124267
Watson, R.B. (1886). Report on the Scaphopoda and Gasteropoda collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76, Zoology. 15(2). https://www.19thcenturyscience.org/HMSC/HMSC-Reports/Zool-42/htm/doc.html

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record