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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium sowerbyanum

(Nyst, 1871)

Description:

Dimensions range from 15 mm - 15 mm high.
Width to height ratio: 00:1 ~ 00:1

Shell: pyramidal; small. About 6 whorls, prominent, rapidly enlarging, contiguous; teleoconch with 5-6 whorls swollen. Spire moderately elevated. Suture constricted. Imperforate: closed. Approximately 20 costae on the body whorl. Costae are numerous, close, rather thick, simple. Costae not peaked. Intercostal spaces spiral threads. Interstices with approximately 15 spiral striae per whorl. Aperture ovate; inner lip thin.


Distribution:

Philippines, south to Queensland [Weil et al., 1999:104]


Habitat:

sandy mud 68 fathoms [~124m] [Sowerby, 1844:97]


Etymology:

Named in honour of Sowerby


Type Material:

Holotype: NHMUK 1981241 for Epitonium sowerbyanum (Nyst, 1871) - Locality: Loay, Bohol, Philippines, 68 fms [= 124 m], in sandy mud. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]


SpeciesImage

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxiii. Fig. 63.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Shown in text as Scalaria concinna G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
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Plate xxxiii. Fig. 63.
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pp: 97.
"T. multicostatse similar, but with more prominent whorls, more numerous varices, and a thin inner lip."
Nyst, H. (1871).
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pp: 134-35.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874).
Shown in text as Scalaria concinna G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
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Plate vii. Fig. 50.
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Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria concinna G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
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Plate 14. Fig. 25.
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pp: 67.

Synonymy:

Scalaria concinna G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1844].
Scalaria concinna G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1873-1874].
Scalaria concinna G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].


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]
Nyst, H. (1873). Tableau synoptique et synonymique des espèces vivantes et fossiles du genre Scalaria décrites par les auteurs, avec l'indication des pays de provenance ainsi que des dépôts dans lesquels les espèces fossiles ont été recueillies. Mémoires de la Société Malacologique de Belgique.. 6. Société Malacologique de Belgique. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43230278 [Accessed ]
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]
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, vol. 19, pls 1-16 and unpaginated text.. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819 [Accessed 24 August 2023]
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