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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Narvaliscala dorysa

Iredale, 1936

Description:

Dimensions range from 14.1 mm - 27 mm high and 7 mm - 9 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.5:1 ~ 0.33:1

Shell: elongate, acuminate; rather thick; small to moderately small. Exterior colour white, brown. About 15 whorls; protoconch apex is missing. Suture suture distinctly constricted. Imperforate. Approximately 20 costae on the body whorl. There are 1 varices on each whorl. Intercostal spaces spirally corded, granulose. Interstices with approximately 5 - 6 spiral striae per whorl. Base distinctly flat basal disc with a peripheral keel, basal disc flattened granulose without axial or spiral threads. Columella margin hardly curved. Aperture circular and attached to the base; peristome incomplete; outer lip thickened.

This species is close to A. (N.) percancellata, but is easily distinguished by its stronger axia ribs overridden by spiral lira.


Distribution:

Off Kii Peninsula, Japan [Nakayama, 2003:12]; Australia, Macpherson & Gabriel, [1962:118], cite a record from Gabo Island, Victoria


Habitat:

240-320 m deep


Type Material:

Type from 150-200 fathoms off Gabo Island for Narvaliscala dorysa Iredale, 1936. [Iredale, T., 1936]
holotype: AMS C.60656 [as Narvaliscala dorysa Iredale, 1936:] - Type Locality: off Gabo Island, Australia, 150-200 fms [=274-366 m].. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Holotype: Australian Museum C-60656 for Narvaliscala dorysa Iredale, 1936. [Kaicher, S.D., 1981]


SpeciesImage

Iredale, T. (1936). Plate xxii. Fig. 18.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Iredale, T. (1936).
Species Image
Plate xxii. Fig. 18.
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Plate xxii.
Kaicher, S.D. (1981).
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Card #: EP2-3099.
Holotype: Australian Museum C-60656
Wilson, B.R. (1993).
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pp: 379. Fig. 8.
Nakayama, T. (2003).
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pp: 115. Plate 6. Fig. 27-29.
figs 27-29: Amaca (Narvaliscala) dorysa (Iredale, 1936)
height 25.9 mm; breadth 9.0 mm (WMNH-Mo-Na216); fig. 29, base
arsint.com (2023).
Species Image
Narvaliscala dorysa
14.1 mm
Japan

Synonymy:

Narvaliscala dorysa Iredale, 1936: [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]
Iredale, T. (1936). Australian molluscan notes. No. 2.. Records of the Australian Museum. 19(5). Australian Museum, Sydney. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.19.1936.704 [Accessed 14 September 2023]
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]
Macpherson, J.H. & Gabriel, C.J. (1962). Marine Molluscs of Victoria. Melbourne University Press and National Museum of Victoria: Melbourne.. https://archive.org/details/marinemolluscsof0000jhop/page/118/mode/2up [Accessed 13 June 2025]
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999). The Wentletrap Book. Evolver
Wilson, B.R. (1993). Australian Marine Shells. Australian Marine Shells. 1. Odessey Publications
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record