Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Gyroscala purpurata

(Dall, 1917)

Description:

Dimensions range from 8.6 mm - 10 mm high and 4.5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.52:1 ~ 0.45:1

Shell: conical; small. Exterior colour dark purple-brown in colour, lip white, costae white. About 11 whorls; protoconch with ~2 whorls conic; teleoconch with 7-9 whorls rounded. Imperforate. Approximately 13 - 19 costae on the body whorl. Costae are ow, with an occasional heavy costa which is white. Intercostal spaces with extremely fine spiral striae visible under magnification. Base rounded with feeble or no basal disk or keel. Aperture ovate, thickened margin, lip white, thin. Operculum unknown.

Distribution:

Panama to northern Peru (DuShane 1974: 41).

Habitat:

intertidal (DuShane: 74)

Type Material:

Holotype: USNM 252242 [as Epitonum (Pictoscala) purpuratum Dall, 1917:] - Locality: beach at Old Panama.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]

SpeciesImage

arsint.com (2023).

Gyroscala purpurata
8.6 mm
Punta Arena, Costa Rica.
Dived at 30 feet in soft coral. 2007

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Dall, W. H. (1917).

Species Image

pp: 477.

Dushane, H. (1974).

Species Image

pp: 54. Fig. 103.

Figure 103: Epitonium (Pictoscala) purpuraturn Dall, 1917- Holo- type, USNM 252242; length 10 mm; width 5mm X 5

arsint.com (2023).

Species Image

Gyroscala purpurata
8.6 mm
Punta Arena, Costa Rica.
Dived at 30 feet in soft coral. 2007

Synonymy:

Epitonum (Pictoscala) purpuratum Dall, 1917: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].

Source Literature:

arsint.com (2023). Shells for Sale:Epitonidae. arsint.com. http://www.arsint.com/seashells_epitoniidae_opalia.html [Accessed 21 October 2023]
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]
Dall, W. H. (1917). Notes on the shells of the genus Epitonium and its allies of the Pacific coast of America.. Proceedings of the US National Museum. 53(2217). https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7553869 [Accessed 18 September 2023]
DuShane, H. (1974). The Panamic-Galapagan Epitoniidae. The Veliger. 16 (Sup. 14). https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42500298 [Accessed 25 September 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