Janthina pallida

W. Thompson, 1840

Description:

Dimensions range from 15 mm - 25 mm high and 14.5 mm - 22.1 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.97:1 ~ 0.88:1

Shell: ; Spire low; small to moderately small. Exterior colour uniform very pale violet, palest of all Janthina species. About 6 whorls, inflated with rounded periphery, strongly and evenly convex, rounded, spirally engraved with striae, striae fine and wavy. Spire moderately tall. Suture deeply impressed. Columella arched, joins the outer lip in a tight curve and forming an anterior spout. Aperture rounded, circular-ovate, lip with central sinus which spans entire height of outer lip, most shallowly V-shaped of all living Janthina species [Beau, 2017]; outer lip widely flared outer lip.

Wilson (1993) notes that the central position of the lip sinus and anterior spout distinguish this species from J. janthina., Betti et al. [2017:491] discuss a large-scale stranding event of Janthina pallida along the Ligurian coast in May 2017, generated when offshore banks were driven inshore by sustained southerly winds. Recorded densities varied markedly between sites, from as low as 12.8 specimens m² to peaks of 2408 specimens m², with several localities exceeding 1000 specimens m² before a subsequent wind shift rapidly dispersed the banks offshore.

Distribution:

World wide in warm seas; Recorded from Mediterranean, Ireland[Thompson, 1840]; Morocco [Gofas et al., 2011:208]; South Africa;St Paul and Amsterdam Islands; Australia, Victoria, clockwise to Torres Strait [Beau, 2017:195]; Indonesia, Banda Sea [Adams & Reeve, 1858]; Bermuda to Brazil and entire Gulf of Mexico [Rosenberg et al., 2009:643]; common in Rio Grande du Sol in summer [Rios, 1985: 160]

Habitat:

Open sea, found on beaches after storms

Etymology:

[latin] from pallidus = pale or faint

Type Material:

Type: no type material in NHMUK, location of any type material not known
Neotype: NHMUK1951.3.14.4, is here designated the neotype of Janthina pallida Thompson, 1840 for Janthina pallida W. Thompson, 1840 - Type Locality: Milton Malbay, County Clare, Ireland. [Beu, A. G., 2017]

Thompson, W. (1840). Plate II. Fig. 2.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Thompson, W. (1840).

Plate II. Fig. 2.

pp: 96-97.

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

Shown in text as Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate XI. Fig. 9.

pp: 54.

Shell subglobose-ovate, with a short spire, sutures slightly impressed, whorls rounded, spirally engraved with striae, striae fine and wavy, aperture circular-ovate; pale violet in colour

Reeve, L. A. (1858).

Shown in text as Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate V. Fig. 24a.

Plate V. Fig. 24b.

testá globosá, solidiusculá, spirá obtusè conicá, plus minus immersá, anfractibus converis, tumidiusculis, spiraliter peculiariter lineari-sulcatis, sulcis undulatis, valdè irregularibus; violas-cente-albá, medio subopacá, nitente; columella sublate reflexá, appressá; aperturá mediocri, haud sinuatá.

Reeve, L. A. (1858).

Plate IV. Fig. 20b.

Plate IV. Fig. 20a.

Shell globose, with a small spire; whorls flatly immersed at the sutures, then rounded, with decussate striations throughout; bluish, purplish-violet at the base; columella slightly reflexed; aperture broad and open.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Ianthina globosa var. pallida Harvey.

Plate 10. Fig. 15.

Plate 10. Fig. 16.

pp: 37.

Beu, A. G. (2017).

pp: 123. Plate 2. Fig. K-L.

Janthina pallida Thompson, GNS WM15256, beach, Windy Harbour, Cape D'Entrecasteaux, southern Western Australia.

Synonymy:

Ianthina globosa var. pallida Harvey. [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].
Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A., 1850a].
Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Reeve, L. A., 1858].

Source Literature:

Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A. (1850a). Mollusca. In 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 and Benham.. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/168281 [Accessed 12 July 2025]
Alf, A., Brenzinger, B., Haszprunar, G., Schrödl, M. & Schwabe, E. (2020). A Guide to Marine Molluscs of Europe. Conch Books. Conch Books
Betti, F., Bavestrello, G., Bo, M., Coppari, M., Enrichetti, F., Manuele, M., & Cattaneo-Vietti, R. (2017). Exceptional strandings of the purple snail Janthina pallida Thompson, 1840 (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae) and first record of an alien goose barnacle along the Ligurian coast (western Mediterranean Sea). The European Zoological Journal. 84(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2017.1379562 [Accessed 28 January 2026]
Beu, A. G. (2017). Evolution of Janthina and Recluzia. Records of the Australian Museum. 69(3). The Australian Museum. 10.3853/j.2201-4349.69.2017.1666 [Accessed 6 December 2023]
Gofras, S., Moreno, D., & Salas, C. (2011). Moluscos Marinos de Andalucia I. 1. Servicio de Publicaciones e Intercambio Científico, Universidad de Málaga: Málaga.. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/S-Gofas/publication/269702794_Moluscos_marinos_de_Andalucia_Volumen_I_pp_i-xvi_y_1-342_Volumen_II_pp_i-xii_y_34-809_preview_of_Table_of_Contents_and_of_selected_chapters/links/5493e8210cf25de74db505cd/Moluscos-marinos-de-Andalucia-Volumen-I-pp-i-xvi-y-1-342-Volumen-II-pp-i-xii-y-343-809-preview-of-Table-of-Contents-and-of-selected-chapters.pdf [Accessed 1 March 2026]
Reeve, L. A. (1858). Monograph of the genus Ianthina. In: Conchologia Iconica, or, illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals. 11. L. Reeve & Co., London.. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8183142 [details] [Accessed 12 July 2025]
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
Thompson, W. (1840). Contributions towards a knowledge of the Mollusca Nudibranchia and Mollusca Tunicata of Ireland, with descriptions of some apparently new species of Invertebrata. Annals of Natural History. 5. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22191066 [Accessed 12 July 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]
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

Janthina pallida

W. Thompson, 1840

Description:

Distribution:

Habitat:

Open sea, found on beaches after storms

Etymology:

[latin] from pallidus = pale or faint

Type Material:

Type: no type material in NHMUK, location of any type material not knownNeotype: NHMUK1951.3.14.4, is here designated the neotype of Janthina pallida Thompson, 1840 for Janthina pallida W. Thompson, 1840 - Type Locality: Milton Malbay, County Clare, Ireland. [Beu, A. G., 2017]

Distribution

Thompson, W. (1840).

Plate II. Fig. 2.

pp: 96-97.

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

Shown in text as Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate XI. Fig. 9.

pp: 54.

Shell subglobose-ovate, with a short spire, sutures slightly impressed, whorls rounded, spirally engraved with striae, striae fine and wavy, aperture circular-ovate; pale violet in colour

Reeve, L. A. (1858).

Shown in text as Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850

Plate V. Fig. 24a.

Plate V. Fig. 24b.

Reeve, L. A. (1858).

Plate IV. Fig. 20b.

Plate IV. Fig. 20a.

Shell globose, with a small spire; whorls flatly immersed at the sutures, then rounded, with decussate striations throughout; bluish, purplish-violet at the base; columella slightly reflexed; aperture broad and open.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Ianthina globosa var. pallida Harvey.

Plate 10. Fig. 15.

Plate 10. Fig. 16.

pp: 37.

Beu, A. G. (2017).

pp: 123. Plate 2. Fig. K-L.

Janthina pallida Thompson, GNS WM15256, beach, Windy Harbour, Cape D'Entrecasteaux, southern Western Australia.

Synonymy:

Ianthina globosa var. pallida Harvey. [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A., 1850a].Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Reeve, L. A., 1858].

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Type: no type material in NHMUK, location of any type material not known
Neotype: NHMUK1951.3.14.4, is here designated the neotype of Janthina pallida Thompson, 1840 for Janthina pallida W. Thompson, 1840 - Type Locality: Milton Malbay, County Clare, Ireland. [Beu, A. G., 2017]

Ianthina globosa var. pallida Harvey. [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].
Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Adams, A. & Reeve, L. A., 1850a].
Ianthina striolata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 [in Reeve, L. A., 1858].