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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Librariscala millecostata

(Pease, 1861)

Description:

Dimensions range from 2.5 mm - 9.7 mm high and 1 mm - 7.1 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.4:1 ~ 0.73:1

Shell: broadly conical, pyramidal; thin and fragile; microscopic to small. Exterior colour dull white. About 12 whorls, convex, rapidly enlarging, joined; protoconch with ~3 whorls glassy; teleoconch with 5-9 whorls. Spire outline usually concave with angle of 45 - 55 degrees. Suture deeply impressed. Umbilicate: small, narrow. Approximately 40 - 100 costae on the body whorl. Costae are prosocline, threadlike, reflexed to form small tubes, continuing into the small umbilicus, prosocline, thin and wrinkly where not coalesced, threadlike, appearing as a raised line dense, strongly prosocline on later whorls. Costae crests completely reflexed to form tubes. Intercostal spaces spiral threads between axial ribs on early whorls, occasionally also on later whorls of large shells. Axial ribs not prominent at shoulder. Base without spiral cord. Aperture rounded, lip thin, reflexed, however, Jousseaume [1912:226-227] describes it as rather thickened, solid; peristome blunt and circular .

Robertson [1981] observes that 'The shells of Epitonium millecostatum have far more axial ribs than any other epitoniid; the rolled over axial ribs are also characteristic', Brown & Neville [2015:61] state that Limiscala dautzenbergi Jousseaume, 1912 is an 'apparent junior subjective synonym of Epitonium millecostatum (Pease, 1861)'. However, WoRMS [2025] lists Limiscala dautzenbergi Jousseaume, 1912 as an unaccepted name for Epitonium multicostatum (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844). While the description and locality of L. dautzenbergi do not align with those of E. multicostatum, they do concur with the description and distribution of E. millecostatum (Pease, 1861).


Distribution:

Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan; Great Barrier Reef, Queensland; Red Sea, Pakistan; Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives [DuShane, 1990:5]; Gulf of Aden [Jousseaume, 1912]; Red Sea to eastern Transkei [Kilburn, 1985:303]


Habitat:

6-216m [DuShane 1990: 5], Den Hartog [1987:96] citing Robertson [1981: 14] states the species 'seems to feed exclusively on ectodermal mucus of its host, Palythoa spec., a colonial zoanthid'


Etymology:

from mille [latin] = thousand and costatus [latin] = ribbed, in reference to the many fine ribs that cover the shell


Type Material:

Syntype: MNHN 4235, 4236 [as Limiscala dautzenbergi Jousseaume, 1912] - Type Locality: Aden, Périm.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Holotype: NHMUK 1961170 [as Scalaria millecostata Pease, 1861: ~ Limiscala dauztenbergi Jousseaume, 1912.] - Type Locality: Sandwich Islands [Hawaii].. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Syntype: Paris Mus. 2710 [as Epitonium dautzenbergi (Jousseaume, 1912)]. [Kaicher, S.D., 1981]


SpeciesImage

DuShane, H. (1988d). pp: 9.

Librariscala millecostata, holotype Br. Mus. (NH)
1961170, L 9 mm, W 6.5 mm.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Pease, W.H. (1861).
Shown in text as Scalaria millecostata Pease, 1861
Species Image
pp: 400.
original description
Jousseaume, F. (1912).
Shown in text as Limiscala dautzenbergi (Jousseaume, 1912)
Species Image
Plate V. Fig. 6-7.
Species Image
pp: 226-227.
Limiscala dautzenbergi sp. n.
Pl. V, fig. 6
Robertson, R. (1981).
Shown in text as Epitonium millecostatum (Pease, 1861)
Species Image
pp: 4. Fig. 2.
Shell of Epitonium millecostatum (specimen 28).
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Kaicher, S.D. (1981).
Shown in text as Epitonium dautzenbergi (Jousseaume, 1912)
Species Image
Card #: EP2-3095.
DuShane, H. (1988d).
Shown in text as Epitonium (Librariscala) millecostatum (Pease, 1861)
Species Image
pp: 9.
Librariscala millecostata, Kapoho, Hawaii Island, DuShane
Coll., L 2.5 mm, W 1 mm.
Photo: Draper
Species Image
pp: 9.
Librariscala millecostata, holotype Br. Mus. (NH)
1961170, L 9 mm, W 6.5 mm.

Synonymy:

Epitonium (Librariscala) millecostatum (Pease, 1861) [in DuShane, H., 1988d].
Epitonium (Librariscala) millecostatum (Pease, 1861) [in Kilburn, R.N, 1985].
Epitonium dautzenbergi (Jousseaume, 1912) [in Kaicher, S.D., 1981].
Epitonium millecostatum (Pease, 1861) [in Robertson, R., 1981].
Limiscala dautzenbergi (Jousseaume, 1912). Brown & Neville [2015:61] state that Limiscala dautzenbergi Jousseaume, 1912 is an 'apparent junior subjective synonym of Epitonium millecostatum (Pease, 1861)'. However, WoRMS [2025] lists Limiscala dautzenbergi Jousseaume, 1912 as an unaccepted name for Epitonium multicostatum (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844). While the description and locality of L. dautzenbergi do not align with those of E. multicostatum, they do concur with the description and distribution of E. millecostatum (Pease, 1861). [in Jousseaume, F., 1912].
Limiscala dautzenbergi Jousseaume, 1912 [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria millecostata Pease, 1861 [in Pease, W.H., 1861].
Scalaria millecostata Pease, 1861: ~ Limiscala dauztenbergi Jousseaume, 1912. [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].


Source Literature:

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]
Den Hartog, J.C. (1987). Observations on the wentletrap Epitonium clathratulum (Kanmacher, 1797) (Prosobranchia, Epitoniidae) and thesea anemone Bunodosoma biscayensis (Fischer, 1874) (Actiniaria, Actiniidae). BASTERIA. 51
DuShane, H. (1988d). Hawaiian Epitoniidae pt.3. Hawaiian Shell News. 36(5). https://www.conchology.be/?t=5002&year=1988&volume=5&hsn=10339 [Accessed 16 September 2023]
DuShane, H. (1990). Hawaiian Epitoniidae. Hawaiian Shell News. 38(Sup.1). Hawaiian Malacological Society
Jousseaume, F. (1912). Faune malacologique de la Mer Rouge. Scalidae. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France.. 24(3-4). Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France.. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10095979 [Accessed 1 March 2025]
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]
Kay, E.A. (1965). Marine Molluscs in the Cuming Collection, British Museum (Natural History) Described by William Harper Pease. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology Series, supplement 1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/156261 [Accessed 12 November 2025]
Kilburn, R.N (1985). The family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in southern Africa and Mozambique. Annals of the Natal Museum. 27(1). Natal Museum
Pease, W.H. (1861). Descriptions of seventeen new species of marine shells, from the Sandwich Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 28. Zoological Society of London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/46225 [Accessed 15 March 2025]
Robertson, R. (1980). Epitonium millecostatum and Corallophila clathrata: Two prosobranch gastropods symbiotic with Indo-Pacific Palythoa (Coelenterata: Zoanthidae).. Paciific Science. 34(1). University Press of Hawaii
Robertson, R. (1981). Epitonium millecostatum and Coralliophila clathrata:Two Prosobranch Gastropods Symbiotic with Indo-Pacific Palythoa. Pacific Science. 34(1). The University Press of Hawaii.
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