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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium minorum

(Iredale, 1936)

Description:

Dimensions range from 5.9 mm - 24 mm high and 2.84 mm - 10 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.48:1 ~ 0.42:1

Shell: slender, elongate; thin; minute to moderately small. Exterior colour pure white, rather shining. About 10 whorls, rounded, disconnected, joined only by costae. Suture deep, fenestrated, narrowly open. Umbilicate: closed or slightly open. Approximately 6 - 10 costae on the body whorl. Costae are strong, thin, blade like, but may also be thickened and reflected. Costae aligned from whorl to whorl; may be peaked and occasionally broadened at the suture; erect or rolled back; joined to those of the preceding whorl. Intercostal spaces smooth or with faint spiral threads. Base costae sometimes terminating in thick cord. Fasciole straight sided . Aperture ovate; peristome lips continuous; outer lip with normal rib externally. Operculum corneous.


Distribution:

Queensland south and west to Western Australia; New Zealand [Weil et al., 1999:132]; Westernport, Victoria and Tasmania [Macpherson & Gabriel, 1962:117]


Habitat:

Intertidal to shallow water, also found empty on beaches. Sand and shall grit [Macpherson & Gabriel, 1962]


Etymology:

from minor [latin] = less, lesser, inferior, smaller


Type Material:

Holotype: AMS C.60644 (holotype). [as Acutiscala minora Iredale, 1936:] - Type Locality: Sydney Harbour, New South Wales.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]


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Iredale, T. (1936). Plate xxii. Fig. 6.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Iredale, T. (1936).
Shown in text as Acutiscala minora, sp. novo
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Plate xxii. Fig. 6.
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pp: 297. Plate xxii.
Kaicher, S.D. (1981).
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Card #: EP2-3071.
Beechey, D. (2008).
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pp: Epitonium minorum. Fig. 1.
Holotype: of Epitonium minorum. Sydney Harbour (C.060644)

Synonymy:

Acutiscala minora Iredale, 1936: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Acutiscala minora, sp. novo [in Iredale, T., 1936].


Source Literature:

Beechey, D. (2008). Shells NSW -Epitonium_minorum. https://seashellsofnsw.org.au/Epitoniidae/Pages/Epitonium_minorum.htm [Accessed 9 May 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]
Iredale, T. (1936). Australian molluscan notes. No. 2.. Records of the Australian Museum. 19(5). Australian Museum, Sydney. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.19.1936.704 [Accessed 14 September 2023]
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]
Macpherson, J.H. & Gabriel, C.J. (1962). Marine Molluscs of Victoria. Melbourne University Press and National Museum of Victoria: Melbourne.. https://archive.org/details/marinemolluscsof0000jhop/page/118/mode/2up [Accessed 13 June 2025]
Powell, A.W.B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells. Collins, Auckland
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999). The Wentletrap Book. Evolver
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record