Epidendrium dendrophylliae

Description:

Dimensions range from 5.6 mm - 15.7 mm high and 3 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.54:1 ~ 0.19:1

Shell: moderately broad to relatively slender-conical; thin, fragile; minute to small. Exterior colour yellowish white with 2 rather indistinct brown spiral bands.. About 9 whorls, very convex whorls; protoconch with 3.25-3.5 whorls glossy, light brown. very convex whorls, sculptured with regularly spaced, very fine lines; teleoconch with ~5.5 whorls. Suture deep suture. Imperforate: lacking. Approximately 19 - 20 costae on the body whorl. Costae are rather strong, not spiny. Intercostal spaces very distinct but fainter spiral cords, with distinct but faint spiral cords. Interstices with approximately 12 spiral striae per whorl. Aperture rounded; outer lip thin; inner lip reflected over the columellar. Operculum Unknown.

Distribution:

eastern Atlantic and western Mediterranean Sea

Habitat:

The deep shelf and bathyal zones, parasitic on the corals Dendrophyllia and Balanophyllia [Bouchet & Waren, 1986], 40-1108 m., as noted by Gittenberger & Gittenberger [2005] ound on dendrophylliid corals. Although they usually occur deeper than 40 m and in association with the coral genera Dendrophyllia and Balanophyllia, Richter and Luque (2004) recorded one specimen from 19 m on Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766).

Etymology:

[latin] latinised genitive form, meaning 'of Dendrophyllia', in reference to the host coral of this species.

Type Material:

Holotype: NMW 1955.158.01018 for Epidendrium dendrophylliae (Bouchet & Warén, 1986) - Locality: Madeira, depth unknown.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]