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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Amaea setonaikaiensis

Masahito & T. Habe, 1975

Description:

Dimensions range from 4.2 mm - 19.4 mm high and 4.9 mm - 17.5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 01.17:1 ~ 0.9:1

Shell: turreted; thin, fragile; minute to small. Exterior colour translucently white. About 11 whorls; protoconch with ~2 whorls smooth and snowy white; teleoconch with 8-9 whorls very convex. Suture deeply constricted. Approximately 20 - 25 costae on the body whorl. Costae are varied in size. Intercostal spaces densely weak spiral threads between costae. Base moderately rounded at the base. Columella margin extends over the umbilical area. Aperture roundly ovate; outer lip thick, roundly curved.

It is very close to Epitonium (Par.) tenuipicturatum, but is distinguishable by having rather fewer axial costae and weak spiral threads.


Distribution:

Setonaikai Sea, Japan.


Habitat:

10-40 m (Tsuchida in Okutani 2000: 337).


Etymology:

[japanese] from Seto Naikai = the Seto Inland Sea, in reference to the type locality.


SpeciesImage

Masahito, Prince & Habe, T. (1975). pp: 192. Plate 1. Fig. 3.

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Type Material:

The NSMT online database does not specify the type status of NSMT-Mo 49717 or NSMT-Mo 49720 [National Museum of Nature and Science, 2026: NSMT-Mo 49717; NSMT-Mo 49720], whereas all other sources examined identify NSMT-Mo 49717 as the holotype and NSMT-Mo 49720 as a paratype.
Brown & Neville [2015: 137] followed Nakayama [2003: 61] in placing the species in Epitonium, whereas WoRMS currently places it in Amaea [WoRMS Editorial Board, 2025: AphiaID 523695].

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.
Amaea setonaikaiensis Masahito & T. Habe, 1975HolotypeNSMT Mo- 49717. Seijima, off Sakaide City, Japan. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 137].NSMT-Mo 49717. [Higo et al., 2001: G1837].NSMT-Mo 49717. Seijima off Sakaide City, Shikoku, Japan. Collected by: Mr. Shigefumi YANO). [Masahito & Habe, 1975: 193].NSMT-Mo 49717. Seijima island, off Sakaide, Kagawa prefecture, northern Shikoku (Seto inland sea), Japan. [Higo et al., 1999: G1837].ParatypeNSMT-Mo 49720. Seijima off Sakaide City, Shikoku, Japan. Collected by: Mr. Shigefumi YANO). [Masahito & Habe, 1975: 193].TypeNSMT-Mo 49717. Sakaide-shi, Kagawa, Japan. . 1973. [National Museum of Nature and Science, 2026: NSMT-Mo 49717].NSMT-Mo 49720. Sakaide-shi, Kagawa, Japan. . 1973. [National Museum of Nature and Science, 2026: NSMT-Mo 49720].
Epitonium (Parviscala) setonaikaiense (Masahito & Habe, 1975)HolotypeNSMT-Mo 49717. Seijima, Sakaide, the Inland Sea of (Setonaikai), Japan. [Nakayama, 2003: 61].


Masahito, Prince & Habe, T. (1975).
Species Image
pp: 192. Plate 1. Fig. 3.
Species Image
pp: 193.
Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (2001).
Species Image
pp: 53. Fig. G1837.
Amaea setonaikaiensis Masahito & Habe, 1975
Holotype: NSMT-Mo 49717. 17.6mm

Synonymy:

Epitonium (Parviscala) setonaikaiense (Masahito & Habe, 1975) [Nakayama, 2003: 61]


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]
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]
Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (2001). Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-Bearing Molluscs of Japan. Type Figures. Elle Scientific Publications
Masahito, Prince & Habe, T. (1975). Systematic study of Japanese Epitoniidae (II). Bulletin of the National Science Museum Series A (Zoology) . 1(4). National Science Museum. https://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/research/publication/zoology/v01_4.html [Accessed 4 March 2025]
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
National Museum of Nature and Science (2026). Collection database of specimens and materials: Mollusca. National Museum of Nature and Science Mollusca database. https://db.kahaku.go.jp/webmuseum_en/search?cls=col_a2_19 [Accessed 9 August 2026]
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