Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Cylindriscala distincta

(E. A. Smith, 1891)

Description:

Dimensions range from 11 mm - 15 mm high and 3.4 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.31:1 ~ 0.23:1

Shell: tall, slender; small. Exterior colour white. About 14 whorls, well rounded, the body whorl is keeled at the middle, concave below; protoconch with ~4 whorls ; teleoconch with ~10 whorls. Suture deep. Imperforate: umbilicus closed. Approximately 12 - 16 costae on the body whorl. Costae are strong, thin with an occasional thicker one. Costae not aligned between whorls; Intercostal spaces with finer continuous spiral ridges. Interstices with approximately 4 - 7 spiral striae per whorl. Base with strong basal disc, smooth below basal cord. Aperture ovate, subcircular, lip thickened by a avarix.

Distribution:

Australia; Broken Bay, NSW, southwards to Bass Strait [Beechey, 2008]

Habitat:

Known from 146-1463 m. Uncommon., 750 m., 146-1463 m. [Beechey, 2008]

Type Material:

Syntypes: NHMUK 1889.10.12.37-8 for Cylindriscala distincta (E. A. Smith, 1891) - Type Locality: CHALLENGER station 164 B off Sydney, New South Wales, 410 fms [=750 m].. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]

SpeciesImage

Iredale, T. (1936). Fig. 29.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Smith, E. A. (1891a).

Species Image

Plate XXXV. Fig. 15.

Species Image

pp: 441.

Iredale, T. (1936).

Species Image

Fig. 29.

Species Image

pp: 305.

Beechey, D. (2008).

Species Image

pp: Cylindriscala distincta. Fig. 1.

Off Nowra, NSW, in 550 m (C.310500)

Source Literature:

Beechey, D. (2008). Shells NSW -Cylindriscala_distincta. https://seashellsofnsw.org.au/Epitoniidae/Pages/Cylindriscala_distincta.htm [Accessed 10 May 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]
Lima, S. F. B & Christoffersen, M. L. (2012). Checklist of Recent Cyllindriscala [Caenogastropoda: Epitoniidae] of the World. Check List. 8[4]. DOI:10.15560/8.4.740 [Accessed 27 August 2025]
Smith, E. A. (1891a). Descriptions of new species of shells from the `Challenger' Expedition. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/70324 [Accessed 8 July 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