Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Alora retifera

Bouchet & Warén, 1986

Description:

Dimensions range from 3.8 mm - 4 mm high and 3.2 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.84:1 ~ 0.8:1

Shell: globose, turbinate; thin, fragile; minute. Exterior colour white, protoconch brown. About 6.25 whorls; protoconch with ~3 whorls somewhat straight, with fine, incremental axial lines; teleoconch with ~3.25 whorls very convex, rapidly increasing. Umbilicate: narrow but distinct. Costae are thin, cord like resembling the spiral cords, unequally distributed. Intercostal spaces sculpture consists of raised spiral cords and axial ribs, forming rectangular intervals. Interstices with approximately 14 spiral striae per whorl. Base strong basal cord. Aperture large,somewhat squarish; outer lip thin, rather angular at the level of the basal cord.

Distribution:

Azores [Bouchet & Warén, 1986:542]; Madeira, Selvagens Archipelago [Segers et al., 2009:7]; Canary Islands [Hernández-Otero & M.H, 2003:85].

Habitat:

1250m-1846m [Bouchet & Warén, 1986:542].

Etymology:

[latin] from rete = net and ferre,= to bear or carry, in reference to the net like sculpture of the shell.

Type Material:

Holotype: RBINS MT411 for Alora retifera Bouchet & Warén, 1986 - Type Locality: Pr Alice, Station 1349. Western Sahara, 1902. [Institute of Natural Sciences, 2026: RBINS MT411]

SpeciesImage

Institute of Natural Sciences (2026). Fig. RBINS MT411.

Alora retifera Bouchet & Waren, 1986
Holotype: RBINS MT411
Western Sahara, 1902
Contributors: Picture : Jonathan Brecko
CC BY NC ND

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Institute of Natural Sciences (2026).

Species Image

Fig. RBINS MT411.

Alora retifera Bouchet & Waren, 1986
Holotype: RBINS MT411
Western Sahara, 1902
Contributors: Picture : Jonathan Brecko
CC BY NC ND

Species Image

labels
Alora retifera Bouchet & Waren, 1986
Holotype: RBINS MT411
Western Sahara, 1902
Contributors: Picture : Jonathan Brecko
CC BY NC ND

Source Literature:

Bouchet, P. & Warén, A. (1986). Revision of the Northeast Atlantic bathyal and abyssal Aclididae Eulimidae, Epitonidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda).. Bollettino Malacologico.. suppl. 2. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/140762 [Accessed 21 September 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]
Hernández-Otero, J.M. & Garcia, M.H. (2003). Mollusca: Clase Gastropoda: Apogastropoda, Archaeogastropoda, Basommatophora, Heterostropha y Onchiida. In L. Moro, J.L. Martín, M.J. Garrido and I. Izquierdo (ed.). Lista de especies marinas de Canarias (algas, hongos, plantas y animales) 2003. Islas Canarias: Consejería de Política Territorial y Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Canarias.
Institute of Natural Sciences (2026). Mollusca type specimens.. Institute of Natural Sciences. https://virtualcollections.naturalsciences.be/virtual-collections/recent-invertebrates/mollusca?utm_source=chatgpt.com#c4=all&b_start=0 [Accessed 27 August 2026]
Segers, W., Swinnen, F. & Abreu, A. (2009). An annotated checklist of the marine molluscs from the archipelagos of Madeira and the Selvagens [NE Atlantic Ocean]. Bocagiana. 226. https://www.academia.edu/79542442/An_annotated_checklist_of_the_marine_molluscs_from_the_Archipelagos_of_Madeira_and_the_Selvagens_NE_Atlantic_Ocean_ [Accessed 18 June 2026]
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999). The Wentletrap Book. Evolver
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