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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium pyramidale

(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)

Description:

Dimensions range from 20 mm - 50 mm high and 9.6 mm - 10.83 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.48:1 ~ 0.22:1

Shell: slender conical, pyramidal; light, but solid; small to medium. Exterior colour white. About 10 whorls, convex, separated; teleoconch with 9-10 whorls strongly convex. Suture deep and fenestrated. Umbilicate, Imperforate: very small, almost closed. Approximately 8 - 12 costae on the body whorl. Costae are somewhat laminated, extant, strong, sharp, slightly crenulated. Costae not always connected from whorl to whorl; hoooked at the shoulder; reflected at the edge. Intercostal spaces smooth, glossy. Aperture ovate to rather rounded; peristome complete.

[Wilson, 1993: 278] notes that E. pyramidale resembles a large E perplexum but lacks the basal rib, This species is very close to E. philippinarum , but E. pyramidale is not as slender in shape, and the costae are hooked at the shoulder.


Distribution:

Pacific coast Japan, Philippines to Australia [Nakayama, 2003:50]; Korean Peninsular [NIBR, 2019:328]; Sulawesi, Indonesia [Kokshoorn et al., 2007:41]; China, Fiji [Higo et al., 1999:227]; Tate & May [1901:279] cite a record from North Coast Tasmania.


Habitat:

intertidal on sand, associated with Actinodendron plumosum [Kokshoorn et al., 2007: 41].


Etymology:

[latin] pyramis = pyramid in reference to the shape of the shell.


SpeciesImage

Murrell, T. (2025).

Epitonium pyramidale (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Mactan Island, Philippines
26.3 x 10.8

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Type Material:

Kokshoorn et al. [2007:41] selected a new lectotype [BMNH 198144] from the syntype series because they were unable to identify with certainty the specimen illustrated by Sowerby [1847: pl. 32, fig. 4]. They designated the syntype that they considered most closely resembled Sowerby's published illustration.

The following list brings together type material and other cited specimens as reported in the sources examined, grouped under the names and designations used in each source. The same specimen may appear in multiple entries drawn from different sources. Some entries concern other species included by authors for comparison; inclusion in this list does not imply synonymy.
Epitonium pyramidale (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)LectotypeBMNH 198144. Caminguing Island, Philippines. [Kokshoorn et al., 2007: 41].SyntypeNHM 1981229. Caminguing, Philippines. [Natural History Museum, 2014: 1981229].
Epitonium (Hirtoscala) pyramidale (Sowerby, 1844)Type designation not provided in text/ source documentCamiguin Island, Philippines. [Nakayama, 2003: 50].
Hirtoscala pyramidale (Sowerby, 1844)Type designation not provided in text/ source document'Ins, Caminguing, ' Caminguin island, northern Mindanao, Philippines. [30 fthms]. 'Taken in sandy mud at '. [Higo et al., 1999: G1898].
Scalaria pyramidalis G.B. Sowerby, II, 1844LectotypeNHMUK 198144. Caminguing Island, Philippines. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 127].


Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Shown in text as Scalaria pyramidalis G.B. Sowerby, II, 1844
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Plate xxxii. Fig. 4.
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pp: 85.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).
Shown in text as Scalaria pyramidalis G.B. Sowerby, II, 1844
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Plate iii. Fig. 17.
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Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria pyramidalis G.B. Sowerby, II, 1844
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Plate 13. Fig. 89.
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pp: 62.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Shown in text as Scalaria pyramidalis G.B. Sowerby, II, 1844
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Plate 6. Fig. 7.
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pp: 24.
Shell white, pyramidal, somewhat swollen; whorls distinct; varices somewhat lamellar, projecting, extended into a sharp angle near the suture; aperture somewhat rounded, the outer lip in front reflexed, wedge-shaped.
Kaicher, S.D. (1981).
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Card #: EP2-3042.
Nakayama, T. (2003).
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pp: 127. Plate 12. Fig. 7-8.
height 23.0 mm; breadth 9.6 mm
Kokshoorn, B., Gittenberger, J. & Gittenberger, A (2007).
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pp: 39. Fig. 11.
Lectotype: BMNH198144
Murrell (2025).
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26.3 x 10.8
Mactan Island, Philippines
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Synonymy:

Epitonium (Hirtoscala) pyramidale (Sowerby, 1844) [Nakayama, 2003: 50]
Hirtoscala pyramidale (Sowerby, 1844) [Higo et al., 1999: G1898]
Scalaria pyramidalis G.B. Sowerby, II, 1844 [Sowerby, 1844: 85; Brown & Neville, 2015: 127; Reeve, 1873: pl. 3, fig. 17; Clessin, 1897: 24; Tryon, 1887: 62; Tate & May, 1901: 279]


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]
Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (1999). Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-Bearing Mollusca of Japan.. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266375656_Catalogue_and_Bibliography_of_the_Marine_Shell-Bearing_Mollusca_of_Japan [Accessed 25 July 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]
Kokshoorn, B., Gittenberger, J. & Gittenberger, A (2007). Epitoniid parasites (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Epitoniidae) and their host sea anemones (Cnidaria,Actiniaria,Ceriantharia) in the Spermonde archipelago, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Basteria. 71(1-3)
Murrell, T. (2025). Personal Collection
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Natural History Museum (2014). NHM Collection specimens [Data set]. Natural History Museum. https://doi.org/10.5519/0002965 [Accessed 6 April 2026]
NIBR National Institute of Biological Resources, (2019). National Species List of Korea II. Vertebrates · Invertebrates · Protozoa. National Institute of Biological Resources.
Reeve, L. A. (1873). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animal. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819 [Accessed 24 August 2023]
South Wales. 26(3). https://biostor.org/reference/53643 [Accessed 5 November 2025]
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]
Tate, R. & May, W.L. (1901). A revised census of the marine Mollusca of Tasmania. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New
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
Wilson, B.R. (1993). Australian Marine Shells. Australian Marine Shells. Vol.1. Odessey Publications
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