Amaea sulcata

(Sowerby, 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 to Mozambique

Habitat:

shallow water [13m]

Type Material:

Scalaria sulcata Sowerby, 1844a:95, pi. 35, fig. 3; idem, 1873:pi. 13, sp. 97. Type locality: Catanauan Isl., Luzon, Philippines.
Cirsotrema sulcatum', Adams, 1861:482. for Amaea sulcata (Sowerby, 1844). [Kilburn, R.N, 1985]
possible syntypes from the Cuming collection in NHMUK (Kilburn 1985: 248). for Amaea sulcata (Sowerby, 1844) - Type Locality: Catanauan, Luzon, Philippines.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]

arsint.com (2023).

14 mm, Mactan island, Cebu. Trawled at 200 m. January 2012

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).

Plate xxxv. Fig. 111.

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

pp: 95.

original description

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).

Plate xiii. Fig. 97.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844

Plate 14. Fig. 36.

pp: 68.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Plate 14. Fig. 9.

pp: 56.

Kilburn, R.N (1985).

NM H112, Conducía Bay, Mozambique, 10,5x2,8 mm.

Nakayama, T. (2003).

pp: 113. Plate 5. Fig. 18-21.

Height 17.8 mm; breadth 6.3 mm (KC);
fig. 20, base;

pp: 113. Plate 5. Fig. 21.

Height 17.8 mm; breadth 6.3 mm (KC);
fig. 21, surface sculpture

arsint.com (2023).

14 mm, Mactan island, Cebu. Trawled at 200 m. January 2012

Synonymy:

Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].

Source Literature:

arsint.com (2023). Shells for Sale:Epitonidae. arsint.com. http://www.arsint.com/seashells_epitoniidae_opalia.html [Accessed 21 October 2023]
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]
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
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]
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873). Monograph of the genus Scalaria. Conchologia iconica, or illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, vol. 19, pls 1-16 and unpaginated text.. 19. London. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8217819 [Accessed 24 August 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
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Amaea sulcata

(Sowerby, 1844)

Description:

Distribution:

Philippines and Japan to Mozambique

Habitat:

shallow water [13m]

Type Material:

Distribution

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).

Plate xxxv. Fig. 111.

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

pp: 95.

original description

Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873).

Plate xiii. Fig. 97.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844

Plate 14. Fig. 36.

pp: 68.

Clessin, S. (1897).

Plate 14. Fig. 9.

pp: 56.

Kilburn, R.N (1985).

NM H112, Conducía Bay, Mozambique, 10,5x2,8 mm.

Nakayama, T. (2003).

pp: 113. Plate 5. Fig. 18-21.

Height 17.8 mm; breadth 6.3 mm (KC); fig. 20, base;

pp: 113. Plate 5. Fig. 21.

Height 17.8 mm; breadth 6.3 mm (KC); fig. 21, surface sculpture

arsint.com (2023).

14 mm, Mactan island, Cebu. Trawled at 200 m. January 2012

Synonymy:

Scalaria sulcata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Height 17.8 mm; breadth 6.3 mm (KC);
fig. 20, base;

Height 17.8 mm; breadth 6.3 mm (KC);
fig. 21, surface sculpture