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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium albolineatum

(G. B. Sowerby, 1844)

Description:

Dimensions range from 14 mm - 14 mm high.
Width to height ratio: 00:1 ~ 00:1

Shell: narrow, pyramidal; small. Exterior colour pale tan to fawn white, brown-purple between the varices, costae white. About 8 whorls, connected. Spire elevated. Approximately 12 costae on the body whorl. Costae are fairly thick, faintly angled at the middle. Aperture small, rounded.


Distribution:

Philippines to Queensland, Australia


Habitat:

not given


Etymology:

[latin] from albus = white and lineatus = lined, in reference to the white costae against the tan colour of the shell


Type Material:

Holotype: NHMUK 1981035 (probable holotype). [as Scalaria albolineata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844:] - Type Locality: per Weil et al. (1999: 99, fig. 303), Luzon, Philippines.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]


SpeciesImage

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxiii. Fig. 52.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
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pp: 100.
original description
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Plate xxxiii. Fig. 52.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).
Shown in text as SCALARIA ALBOLINEATA.
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Plate viii. Fig. 57.
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Tryon, G.W. (1887).
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Plate 14. Fig. 30.
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pp: 68.
Clessin, S. (1897).
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Plate 14. Fig. 7.
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pp: 55.
Shell small, narrowly pyramidal, dark purplish-brown between the varices; spire elevated; whorls eight; varices white, numerous, rather thick, faintly angled at the middle; aperture small, round.
Kaicher, S.D. (1981).
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Card #: EP2-3074.

Synonymy:

Scalaria albolineata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria albolineata G.B. Sowerby II, 1844: [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1873].


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]
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]
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). 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