Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Claviscala subulae

T. Nakayama, 2000

Description:

Dimensions range from 11 mm - 15 mm high and 3.5 mm - 3.8 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.32:1 ~ 0.25:1

Shell: awl-shaped, elongatedly turreted; rather thin; small. Exterior colour dull white. About 12.5 whorls; protoconch with ~1.5 whorls convex, polished smooth and flattened, white; teleoconch with 12-11 whorls rather slender, tightly coiled. Spire elevated. Suture simple and moderately deep. Imperforate. Approximately 16 costae on the body whorl. Costae are weak thick and low. Intercostal spaces with strong spiral striae which cross over the costae. Interstices with approximately 9 spiral striae per whorl. Base with spiral striae and basal disc. Base with 9 spiral striae, Columella margin slightly thickened. Aperture ovate; outer lip thin.

Distribution:

off Boso Peninsula to off Kii Peninsula, Japan [Nakayama, 2000:283]; Taiwan [Huang & Lee, 2016:15].

Habitat:

100-500m [Huang & Lee, 2016:15].

Etymology:

As stated by the author [Nakayama, 2000: 283], 'the name subulae means a shoemaker's awl'.

Type Material:

Holotype (NSMT Mo-71416) height 14.7 mm; breadth 3.8 mm (Figs. 17, 18; Paratype (Koyama Collection) height 14.0 mm; breadth 3.5 mm. for Claviscala subulae T. Nakayama, 2000. [Nakayama, 2000: 283]
Holotype: NSMT-Mo 71416 for Claviscala subulae T. Nakayama, 2000 - Type Locality: Off Choshi, Boso Peninsula, Chiba Japan. 80-100m. Collected August, 1989. [National Museum of Nature and Science, 2026: NSMT-Mo 71416]

SpeciesImage

Nakayama, T. (2003). pp: 121. Plate 9. Fig. 19.

Claviscala subulae Nakayama, 2000
Holotype
height 14.7 mm; breadth 3.8 mm

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Nakayama, T. (2003).

Species Image

pp: 121. Plate 9. Fig. 19.

Claviscala subulae Nakayama, 2000
Holotype
height 14.7 mm; breadth 3.8 mm

Huang, C. W. & Lee, Y.C. (2016).

Species Image

pp: 4. Fig. a.

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]
Huang, C. W. & Lee, Y.C. (2016). Checklist of the family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Taiwan with description of a new species and some new records. Biodiversity Data Journal. 4. doi: 10.3897/ BDJ.4.e5653 [Accessed 25 August 2023]
Nakayama, T. (2000). Descriptions of a New Subgenus,Fourteen New Species,and Thee Substituted Names of Epitoniids from Japan. VENUS. 59(4). Malacological Society of Japan. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/venusjjm/59/4/59_KJ00004345136/_pdf [Accessed 24 August 2023]
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
National Museum of Nature and Science (2026). Collection database of specimens and materials: Mollusca. National Museum of Nature and Science Mollusca database. https://db.kahaku.go.jp/webmuseum_en/search?cls=col_a2_19 [Accessed 9 August 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