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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium gracile

(G. B. Sowerby, 1844)

Description:

Dimensions range from 6.6 mm - 18 mm high and 3.2 mm - 5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.48:1 ~ 0.28:1

Shell: narrow, elongate conical; minute to small. Exterior colour white, fulvous, costae white. About 12 whorls, separated by a deeply fenestrate suture, contiguous; protoconch conical with ~3 whorls convex whorls, 1st one somewhat mamilliform; basal diameter 0,4 mm; termination at first axial lamella; teleoconch with ~9 whorls strongly rounded, convex. Spire greatly elevated. Suture deeply fenestrate. Umbilicate: slightly fenestrated or almost closed. Approximately 6 - 10 costae on the body whorl. Costae are prosocline, thick, prosocline. Costae continuous; emarginated and aculeated near the suture, blunt coronation below the suture, Nakayama, 2003 states that it is not coronated at shoulder.; moderately recurved. Intercostal spaces with cancellate, granulate microstriae. Base thick, moderately expanded anteriorly. Fasciole narrow. Aperture roundly ovate; peristome thick, moderately expanded anteriorly.


Distribution:

Philippines [Sowerby, 1844:86]; Pacific coast from Boso Peninsula to Kyushu, southern coast of Sea of Japan, the Inland Sea, Japan [Nakayama, 2003:54]; Korean Peninsular [NIBR, 2019:328]; New Caledonia [Héros et al., 2007:218]; Gulf of Thailand [Wells et al., 2021:128];Red Sea to Natal, South Africa [Kilburn, 1985:325]


Habitat:

intertidal


Etymology:

[latin] from gracilis = slender, slim, fine or graceful, a reference to the elegance or narrowness of the shell's shape


Type Material:

Type not listed in source data for Epitonium gracile (G. B. Sowerby, 1844) - Type Locality: Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines. [Nakayama, T., 2003]
Holotype: MNHN 4392 [as Graciliscala rostrata Jousseaume, 1912] - Type Locality: Djibouti.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Syntype: BMNH type coll. 98143 for Epitonium gracile (G. B. Sowerby, 1844). [Kaicher, S.D., 1981]


SpeciesImage

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxii. Fig. 33-34.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Shown in text as Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate xxxii. Fig. 33-34.
Species Image
pp: 86.
original description
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).
Shown in text as Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate viiI. Fig. 53.
Species Image
Species 53. (Mus. Brit.)
SCALARIA GRACILIS.
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate 14. Fig. 28-29.
Species Image
pp: 67.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Species Image
Plate 16. Fig. 4.
Species Image
pp: 60.
Species Image
pp: 74.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Species Image
Plate 5. Fig. 6.
Species Image
pp: 20.
Shell small, tapered, yellowish between the varices; spire very elevated; whorls numerous, contiguous; varices white, successive, notched and spined near the suture.
Dall, W. H. (1917).
Shown in text as Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
pp: 487.
Kaicher, S.D. (1981).
Species Image
Card #: EP2-3053.
Shell sturdy; dull white; with 7 somewhat recurved costae;
under magni-fication, spirals and growth lines give cancel-late appear-ance; to approx. 15 mm. Offshore.
BMNH type coll. 198143 - syntype)
Card #: EP2-3053
Kilburn, R.N (1985).
Species Image
148. NM B309, Durban Bay. 6.8 v 3.1mm. 1
Nakayama, T. (2003).
Species Image
pp: 127. Plate 12. Fig. 35.
Epitonium(Laeviscala) gracile (Sowerby, 1844)
height 13.9 mm; breadth 5.0 m
Kushimoto, Kii Peninsula, Japan, at beach
Bonfitto, A. (2018).
Species Image
pp: 127. Fig. 5O.
Epitonium (Laeviscala) gracile (Sowerby, 1844)
from lot MNHN4258 with dimensions, respectively, of 8.67 mm × 3.83 mm

Synonymy:

Graciliscala rostrata Jousseaume, 1912 [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Clessin, S., 1897].
Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Dall, W. H., 1917].
Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Reeve, L.A., 1873].
Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1844].
Scalaria gracilis G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].


Source Literature:

Bonfitto, A. (2018). New species of Epitoniidae (Gastropoda: Epitonioidea) from the Red Sea. Molluscan Research. 38:2. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/13235818.2017.1385168 [Accessed 26 August 2023]
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]
Dall, W. H. (1917). Notes on the shells of the genus Epitonium and its allies of the Pacific coast of America.. Proceedings of the US National Museum. 53(2217). https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7553869 [Accessed 18 September 2023]
Gemert L van (2003). Marine schelpen verzamelen op Ko Samui (Golf van Thailand). De Kreukel. 39
Heros V., Lozouet, P., Maestrati, P., von Cosel, R., Brabant D., & Bouchet P (2007). Mollusca of New Caledonia. in: Payri C.E. Richer de Forges B. (Eds.) Compendium of marine species of New Caledonia, Doc. Sci. Tech.. II7 2ed. https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers15-04/010038859.pdf [Accessed 28 February 2026]
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 [Accessed 8 May 2023]
Kilburn, R.N (1985). The family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in southern Africa and Mozambique. Annals of the Natal Museum. 27(1). Natal Museum
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
NIBR National Institute of Biological Resources (2019). National Species List of Korea II. Vertebrates · Invertebrates · Protozoa. National Institute of Biological Resources.
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]
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 [Accessed 22 June 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]
Wells, E., Sanpanich, K., Tan, S. K, & Duangdee, T. (2021). The Marine and Estuarine Molluscs of Thailand. Lee Kong Chian natural History Museum
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record