Header Image
Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Eglisia spirata

(G. B. Sowerby I, 1825)

Description:

Dimensions range from 26.6 mm - 43 mm high and 12.36 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.46:1 ~ 0.29:1

Shell: turrited, apex obtuse, Pyramidally turreted; moderately small to medium. Exterior colour whitish, longitudinally brown-banded. About 12 whorls; protoconch decollate in initial description [Sowerby, 1825:appendix xiv]; teleoconch sculpted with 6 strong spiral cords and numerous finer spiral threads, upper part of the whorl is flattened giving a tabulate appearance. Suture conspicuously flattened depression near the suture at the top. Imperforate. Costae are are present as fine ribs which may be weak or absent. Base with dark brown basal disc [Weil et al., 1999:36]. Columella slightly reflexed. Aperture somewhat round; outer lip with straight edge.

Coan et al. [2015:39] note that 'this is a West African species sometimes incorrectly listed as also occurring in the western Atlantic' . However, both Sowerby [1825:appendix 14, No. 1449] and Tryon [1887: 86] give St Thomas as a locality


Distribution:

western Africa [Brown & Neville, 2015]; Senegal [Murrell, 2025:specimen ID 10262]; Guinea Bissau [Ardovini & Cossignani, 2004:138]; St. Thomas, W. Indies [Sowerby, 1825:XIV, and Tryon, 1887: 86].


Habitat:

offshore to 200 m [Weil et al., 1999:36].


Etymology:

[Latin] From spira = a coil or spiral. Although not stated by the author, the name most likely refers to the shell's high-spired, spiral form.


Type Material:

Coan & Petit [2011: 39] regarded Turbo suturalis W. Wood, 1828 as a synonym of Eglisia spirata (G. B. Sowerby I, 1825), confirming the synonymy first proposed by [Wood & Hanley, 1856: 225].

Type material not located in NHMUK in 2010 [as Turbo suturalis W. Wood, 1828]. [Coan & Petit, 2011: 39]
Holotype: NHM 20220377 for Eglisia spirata (G. B. Sowerby I, 1825) - Type Locality: Earl Charles B. Tankerville 4th Earl collection. [Natural History Museum, 2014: NHM 20220377]


SpeciesImage

Murrell, T. (2025).

ID 10262
Cap De Nzae, Senegal
Trawled from deep water.
39.96 x 12.36 mm

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Sowerby, G. B. I. (1825).
Shown in text as Turritella spirata G. B. Sowerby I, 1825
Species Image
pp: appendix xiv.
Original Description
Shell turrited, whitish, apex obtuse, whorls transversely ribbed, longitudinally brown-banded, conspicuously flattened depression near the suture at the top; aperture somewhat round, outer lip intact, straight; inner lip thickened, reflexed: length 1 7/10 inches, width 1/2 inch
Wood, W. (1828).
Shown in text as Turbo suturalis W. Wood, 1828
Species Image
Plate 6. Fig. 41.
Species Image
pp: 20.
Wood, W. & Hanley, S. (1856).
Shown in text as Turritella spirata G. B. Sowerby I, 1825
Species Image
pp: 225.
Species Image
Plate 8. Fig. 41.
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Eglisa spirata Sowerby
Species Image
Plate 18. Fig. 38.
Species Image
pp: 86.
Natural History Museum (2014).
Species Image
Fig. NHM 20220377.
Turritella spirata G. B. Sowerby I, 1825
Holotype: NHM 20220377
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
CC0 1.0
Murrell (2025).
Species Image
ID 10262
Cap De Nzae, Senegal
Trawled from deep water.
39.96 x 12.36 mm
Species Image
ID 10262
Cap De Nzae, Senegal
Trawled from deep water.
39.96 x 12.36 mm

Synonymy:

Eglisa spirata Sowerby [Tryon, 1887: 86]
Turbo suturalis W. Wood, 1828 [Coan & Petit, 2011: 39; Wood, 1828: 20; Wood & Hanley, 1856: 225]
Turritella spirata G. B. Sowerby I, 1825 [Sowerby, 1825: appendix 14, No. 1449; Brown & Neville, 2015: 140]


Source Literature:

Ardovini R. & Cossignani T. (2004). West African seashells
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]
Coan, E.V. & Petit, R.E. (2011). The publications and malacological taxa of William Wood (1774-1857).. Malacologia. 54. http://dx.doi.org/10.4002/040.054.0109 [Accessed 25 October 2025]
Murrell, T. (2025). Personal Collection
Natural History Museum (2014). Collection specimens [Data set]. Natural History Museum. https://doi.org/10.5519/0002965 [Accessed 6 April 2026]
Sowerby, G. B. I. (1825). A catalogue of the shells contained in the collection of the late Earl of Tankerville: arranged according to the Lamarckian conchological system: together with an appendix, containing descriptions of many new species. Catalogue Tankerville Collection. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27372421
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]
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999). The Wentletrap Book. Evolver
Wood, W. (1828). Supplement to the Index Testaceologicus; or A catalogue of shells, British and foreign.. Richard Taylor, London. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22991199 [Accessed 4 July 2026]
Wood, W. & Hanley, S. (1856). Index testaceologicus, an illustrated catalogue of British and foreign shells, containing about 2,800 figures accurately coloured after nature.. Willis and Sotheran. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/41226 [Accessed 5 September 2026]
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ. [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record