Header Image
Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Amaea sulcata

(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)

Description:

Dimensions range from 10.5 mm - 18 mm high and 2.8 mm - 6.3 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.27:1 ~ 0.35:1

Shell: elongate, acuminate; thin; small. Exterior colour white to yellowish white. About 10 whorls, convex, shouldered, connected. Spire convex, aciculated. Suture deep, distinct, simple. Imperforate: umbilicus closed. Approximately 17 - 27 costae on the body whorl. Costae are prosocline, low, thin. There are 1 - 2 varices on each whorl. The varices are lamellae which form thin but well developed varices. Costae angular with a small coronation near the suture. Intercostal spaces finely spiral striated. Interstices with approximately 27 spiral striae per whorl. Columella not reflexed. Fasciole present. Aperture oval; peristome thick, slightly auriculate; inner lip thickened.


Distribution:

Philippines and Japan [Nakayama, 2003:15]; East China Sea [Brown, 2009:23]; Gulf of Thailand [Wells et al., 2021:127]; Mozambique [Kilburn, 1985:247].


Habitat:

shallow water [13m] [Kilburn, 1985:247].


Etymology:

[latin] from sulcatus = grooved or furrowed, presumable referring to the shell's distinct, deep suture.


Type Material:

Kilburn [1985:247] commented that 'Scalaria sulcata is unidentifiable from the original description and figure, based on a specimen in the H. Cuming collection' in the BMNH.
A search of the NHM online database [Natural History Museum, 2014] for Scalaria sulcata returned no records.

Syntypes [possible]: from the Cuming collection in NHMUK (Kilburn 1985: 248). for Amaea sulcata (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844) - Type Locality: Catanauan, Luzon, Philippines. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 144]


SpeciesImage

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844). Plate xxxv. Fig. 111.

49. Sc. SULCATA, (pi. XXXV. f. iii.)

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Shown in text as Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate xxxv. Fig. 111.
49. Sc. SULCATA, (pi. XXXV. f. iii.)
Species Image
pp: 95.
original description
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).
Shown in text as Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Species Image
Plate xiii. Fig. 97.
Species Image
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria sulcata Sowerby
Species Image
Plate 14. Fig. 36.
Species Image
pp: 68.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Shown in text as Scalaria sulcata Sowerby
Species Image
Plate 14. Fig. 9.
Species Image
pp: 56.
Kilburn, R.N (1985).
Species Image
NM H112, Conducía Bay, Mozambique, 10,5x2,8 mm.

Synonymy:

Amaea (Filiscala) sulcata (Sowerby, 1844) [Nakayama, 2003: 15]
Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [Sowerby, 1844: 95; Reeve, 1873: pl.]
Scalaria sulcata Sowerby [Tryon, 1887: 68]
Scalaria sulcata Sowerby, 1845 [Clessin, 1897: 56]


Source Literature:

Brown, L. (2009). Report on the Epitoniidae of the East China Sea. American Conchologist: quarterly bulletin of the Conchologists of America, Inc. 37(2). Lipps-National Press. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/321313 [Accessed 23 July 2025]
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]
Gemert L van (2003). Marine schelpen verzamelen op Ko Samui (Golf van Thailand). De Kreukel. 39
Kilburn, R.N. (1985). The family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in southern Africa and Mozambique. Annals of the Natal Museum. 27(1). Natal Museum
Nakayama, T. (2003). A Review of Northwest Pacific Epitoniids. Monographs of Marine Mollusca. 6. Backhuys Publishers
Natural History Museum (2014). Collection specimens [Data set]. Natural History Museum. https://doi.org/10.5519/0002965 [Accessed 6 April 2026]
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]
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]
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
Wells, E., Sanpanich, K., Tan, S. K, & Duangdee, T. (2021). The Marine and Estuarine Molluscs of Thailand. Lee Kong Chian natural History Museum
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