Epitonium subauriculatum

(Souverbie, 1866)

Description:

Dimensions range from 6.25 mm - 10 mm high and 2.75 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.44:1 ~ 0.28:1

Shell: narrow, attenuated, pyramidal; somewhat solid; minute to small. Exterior colour whitish. About 9 whorls, round, disjointed; teleoconch with ~8 whorls. Suture deep. Imperforate. Approximately 7 costae on the body whorl. Costae are somewhat sharp, thick, prominent, distant. Costae align with those of the preceding whorls; joined across the suture. Aperture subovate-round; peristome sharp, double; outer lip slightly ear-like [subauriculatum].

Brown & Neville (2015) observed discrepancies between the figure and accompanying text in the original description, noting that Souverbie (1866b: 260) effectively redescribed the species later in the same volume, with the written account preferred over the illustration. Whilst Jousseaume (1912: 205) regarded the species as a junior synonym of Epitonium gracile (G.B. Sowerby II, 1844b), Brown & Neville maintained that two distinct species ought to be recognised.

Distribution:

New Caledonia

Habitat:

not reported

Etymology:

sub- = somewhat or slightly, nearly and auriculatum = eared in reference to the shape of the outer lip.

Type Material:

not located [as Scalaria subauriculata Souverbie in Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1866:] - Type Locality: 'Ile Art (Archip. calédon.)'. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]

Tryon, G.W. (1887). Plate 14. Fig. 21-22.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Souverbie, S.M. & Montrouzier, X. (1866).

Plate VI. Fig. 2.

pp: 147.

pp: 147-148.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874

Plate xv. Fig. 116.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874, Scalaria subauriculata Souverbie, 1866

pp: 67.

Plate 14. Fig. 21-22.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Plate 14. Fig. 6.

pp: 55.

Shell small, pyramidal, imperforate, whitish, somewhat solid; whorls eight, growing slowly and regularly, disjointed, smooth; varices few, somewhat sharp; aperture ovate; peristome sharp.

Jousseaume, F. (1912).

Shown in text as Graciliscala gracilis Jousseaume, 1912

Plate VI. Fig. 1-2.

Graciliscala gracilis
PI. VI, fig. 1-8.

pp: 205.

pp: 206.

Synonymy:

Graciliscala gracilis Jousseaume, 1912 [in Jousseaume, F., 1912].
Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874 [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874 [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1873].
Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874, Scalaria subauriculata Souverbie, 1866 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].
Scalaria microsoma Tapparone-Canefri, 1876 [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria subauriculata Souverbie in Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1866: [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]
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]
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]
Souverbie, S.M. & Montrouzier, X. (1866). Descriptions d'espèces nouvelles de l'Archipel Calédonien. Journal de Conchyliologie. 14. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15667376 [Accessed 10 July 2025]
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]
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
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Epitonium subauriculatum

(Souverbie, 1866)

Description:

Distribution:

New Caledonia

Habitat:

not reported

Etymology:

sub- = somewhat or slightly, nearly and auriculatum = eared in reference to the shape of the outer lip.

Type Material:

not located [as Scalaria subauriculata Souverbie in Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1866:] - Type Locality: 'Ile Art (Archip. calédon.)'. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]

Distribution

Souverbie, S.M. & Montrouzier, X. (1866).

Plate VI. Fig. 2.

pp: 147.

pp: 147-148.

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).

Shown in text as Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874

Plate xv. Fig. 116.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria attenuata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874, Scalaria subauriculata Souverbie, 1866

pp: 67.

Plate 14. Fig. 21-22.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Plate 14. Fig. 6.

pp: 55.

Shell small, pyramidal, imperforate, whitish, somewhat solid; whorls eight, growing slowly and regularly, disjointed, smooth; varices few, somewhat sharp; aperture ovate; peristome sharp.

Jousseaume, F. (1912).

Shown in text as Graciliscala gracilis Jousseaume, 1912

Plate VI. Fig. 1-2.

Graciliscala gracilis PI. VI, fig. 1-8.

pp: 205.

pp: 206.

Synonymy:

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Graciliscala gracilis
PI. VI, fig. 1-8.