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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium marmoratum

(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)

Description:

Dimensions range from 12.32 mm - 25 mm high and 5.32 mm - 7.9 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.43:1 ~ 0.32:1

Shell: moderately stout, pyramidal; fragile; small to moderately small. Exterior colour apex purple, white to fawn with marbled reddish-brown bands and spots, peristome white, costae white. About 9 whorls, convex, usually slightly separate; teleoconch with 8-9 whorls. Suture deep or fenestrated. Umbilicate: fenestrated. Approximately 9 costae on the body whorl. Costae are Iaminated, narrow,, thin, sharp edged. Costae hooked at the shoulders; reflected at the edge. Intercostal spaces smooth. Columella ribs fused where they meet the columellar. Aperture ovate; peristome complete.

Reeve [1873] notes that E. marmoratum is distinguished from Epitonium alatum (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844) and Epitonium fasciatum (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844) by the marbled markings, and by the narrow and obtusely angular whorls., Tryon [1879: 56] remarks that this species differs from E fasciatum by its more numerous, angulated whorls, thinner and more irregular varices, and colouring


Distribution:

Amami Islands to Okinawa, Japan; Philippines [Nakayama, 2003:48]; Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji; Cairns, Queensland, Australia [Garcia, 2003:12]; India [Tryon, 1887:56].


Habitat:

10 to 30 m, sand [Higo, et al., 1999: G1888].


Etymology:

from marmoratus [latin] = marbled.


SpeciesImage

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxii. Fig. 9.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Type Material:

The following list brings together type material and other cited specimens as reported in the sources examined, grouped under the names and designations used in each source. The same specimen may appear in multiple entries drawn from different sources. Some entries concern other species included by authors for comparison; inclusion in this list does not imply synonymy.
Epitonium (Lamelliscala) marmoratum (Sowerby, 1844)TypeIndia. [Nakayama, 2003: 48].
Epitonium mariei (Crosse, 1873)HolotypeParis Museum. [Kaicher, 1983: EP3-3598].
Lamelliscala mariei (Crosse, 1871)Type designation not provided in text/ source documentNew Caledonia. [Higo et al., 1999: G1889].
Lamelliscala marmoratum (Sowerby, 1844)Type designation not provided in text/ source documentIndia. Sowerby added: 'We have no information as to the locality of this species....Mr. Cuming's collection'; 'India'. Sowerby added, however: 'We have no information as to the locality of this species....Mr. Cuming's collection'. [Higo et al., 1999: G1888].
Scalaria mariei Crosse, 1873SyntypeMNHN 4315. Noumea, New Caledonia. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 101].MNHN-IM-2000-4315. New Caledonia. [Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 2026: MNHN-IM-2000-4315].
Scalaria marmorata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844SyntypeNHM 1981046. 'Zanzibar', India. [3 specimens]. [Natural History Museum, 2014: NHM 1981046].NHMUK 1981046. India. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 101].


Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Shown in text as Scalaria marmorata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Species Image
Plate xxxii. Fig. 9.
Species Image
pp: 85.
Original description
Reeve, L.A. (1873).
Species Image
Plate iii. Fig. 16.
Species Image
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria mariei Crosse, 1873
Species Image
Plate 12. Fig. 87.
Species Image
pp: 59.
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria marmorata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate 11. Fig. 42.
Species Image
pp: 56.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Shown in text as Scalaria marmorata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate 8. Fig. 5.
Species Image
pp: 30.
Shell pyramidal, smooth, pale; marbled between the varices with interrupted spots and bands; varices laminar, narrow, thin, obtusely angled above, sloping toward the suture.
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (2026).
Shown in text as Scalaria mariei Crosse, 1873 ·
Species Image
Fig. 2000-4315.
Scalaria mariei Crosse, 1873
Syntype: MNHN-IM-2000-4315
Numea, New Caledonia
Credit:MNHN - Brabant D. - 2005
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Synonymy:

Epitonium (Epitonium) marmoratum (Sowerby, 1844) [Garcia, 2003: 12]
Epitonium (Lamelliscala) marmoratum (Sowerby, 1844) [Nakayama, 2003: 48]
Epitonium mariei (Crosse, 1873) [Kaicher, 1983: EP3-3598]
Lamelliscala mariei (Crosse, 1871) [Higo et al., 1999: G1889]
Lamelliscala marmoratum (Sowerby, 1844) [Higo et al., 1999: G1888]
Scalaria mariei Crosse, 1873 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 101; Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 2026: MNHN-IM-2000-4315; Tryon, 1887: 59]
Scalaria marmorata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [Sowerby, 1844: 85; Brown & Neville, 2015: 101; Reeve, 1873: pl. 3, fig. 16; Clessin, 1897: 30; Tryon, 1887: 56; Natural History Museum, 2014: NHM 1981046]


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]
Clessin, S. (1897). Die Familie der Scalariidae. In W. Kobelt (Ed.), Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Neu herausgegeben und vervollständigt. 2(13). Bauer & Raspe, NürnbergBauer & Raspe, Nürnberg. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34259905 [Accessed 21 June 2025]
Garcia, E. F. (2003). New records of Indo-Pacific Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) with the description of nineteen new specie. Novapex. 4 (Hors-série 1). http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42322472 [Accessed 26 August 2023]
Heros V., Lozouet, P., Maestrati, P., von Cosel, R., Brabant D., & Bouchet P (2007). Mollusca of New Caledonia. in: Payri C.E. Richer de Forges B. (Eds.) Compendium of marine species of New Caledonia, Doc. Sci. Tech.. II7 2ed. https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers15-04/010038859.pdf [Accessed 28 February 2026]
Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (1999). Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-Bearing Mollusca of Japan.. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266375656_Catalogue_and_Bibliography_of_the_Marine_Shell-Bearing_Mollusca_of_Japan [Accessed 25 July 2025]
Kaicher, S.D. (1980). Epitoniidae I [Pack 23]. S. D. Kaicher, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.femorale.com/kaicher/species.asp?f=Epitoniidae&c=125 [Accessed 8 May 2023]
Kaicher, S.D. (1983). Epitoniidae III [Pack 35]. S. D. Kaicher, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.femorale.com/kaicher/species.asp?f=Epitoniidae&c=125 [Accessed 8 May 2023]
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (2026). Mollusca (IM) collection. Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/im/item/search [Accessed 18 July 2026]
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Natural History Museum (2014). NHM Collection specimens [Data set]. Natural History Museum. https://doi.org/10.5519/0002965 [Accessed 6 April 2026]
Reeve, L. A. (1873). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animal. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819 [Accessed 24 August 2023]
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]
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
Wilson, B.R. (1993). Australian Marine Shells. Australian Marine Shells. Vol.1. Odessey Publications
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