Epitonium clementinum

(Grateloup, 1840)

Description:

Dimensions range from 1 mm - 22 mm high and 10.5 mm - 25 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 010.5:1 ~ 01.14:1

Shell: short, stout, broadly pyramidal; light, thin; microscopic to moderately small. Exterior colour glossy, white or pale fulvous with 2 or 3 brown spiral bands, costae white. About 8 whorls, rapidly increasing. Spire short, sharp apex. Suture deep, perforated. Umbilicate: large, widely open. Approximately 16 - 23 costae on the body whorl. Costae are unequal, rather rounded thin, low, occurring irregularly, some doubled. Intercostal spaces smooth. Aperture roundly ovate, lip thickened; peristome thin.

Distribution:

Russian Eastern Sea [Gulbin, 2004 & 2010], Pacific coast of Japan [Higo, et al., 1999], Philippines, Singapore, Australia and Mauritius

Habitat:

Intertidal to 5m [Gulbin, 2010] on sand and mud substrate

Etymology:

Named after Clementine, the daughter of the Author

Type Material:

Syntype: Scalaria clementina - NHMUK 1907.11.22.54: Singapour [Singapore]
Lectotype: Scalaria latifasciata - NHMUK 1891.7.28.1: Maheburg, Mauritius, on sandy mud; designated by Kilburn (1985: 305)
Holotype: Papyriscala tricincta - ZIN 23012/1: Japan Sea, Posyeta Bay
type not located: Scalaria trifasciata De Haen G.B. Sowerby II, 1844 - Masbate, Philippines [as Papyriscala tricincta Golikov in Golikov et Scarlato, 1967] - Type Locality:
. [Gulbin, V. & Kantor, Y., 2015]
Holotype: ZIN 23012/1 [as Papyriscala tricincta A. N. Golikov, 1967] - Type Locality: Posjet Bay, Amur Inlet, Russia. [Kantor, Y. & Sysoev, A., 2006]

Grateloup, J.-P. S (1840). Plate III. Fig. 4.

original illustration

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Grateloup, J.-P. S (1840).

Plate III. Fig. 4.

original illustration

pp: 447.

original description

Nyst, H. (1871).

Shown in text as Scalaria grateloupeana Nyst, 1873

pp: 110.

pp: 111.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria latifasciata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874

Plate 11. Fig. 47.

Tryon [1875: 56] notes that S. trifasciata, De Haan (fig. 47), is a synonym. The bands are sometimes faint or obsolete.

Plate 11. Fig. 48.

pp: 56.

Clessin, S. (1897).

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

Plate 10. Fig. 9-10.

pp: 36.

Kaicher, S.D. (1980).

Kilburn, R.N (1985).

pp: 305.

designation of lectotype

Kantor, Y. & Sysoev, A. (2006).

Shown in text as Papyriscala tricincta A. N. Golikov, 1967

Plate 59. Fig. c.

C. Papyriscala tricincta, holotype, ZIN 23012/1, 17.8 mm;

Gulbin, V. & Kantor, Y. (2015).

Shown in text as Papyriscala tricincta Golikov in Golikov et Scarlato, 1967

pp: 75. Fig. G-H.

FIG. 1. Epitonium (Papyriscala) clementinum (Grateloup, 1840).
G-H - specimens, collected in Sukhodol Inlet, MIMB 30353, SL 20.7 mm.

pp: 75. Fig. A-H.

FIG. 1. Epitonium (Papyriscala) clementinum (Grateloup, 1840).
A - syntype of Scalaria clementina, NHMUK 1907.11.22.54, shell length (SL) 21.8 mm [after Cernohorsky, 1978].
B - lectotype of Scalaria latifasciata, NHMUK 1891.7.28.1, SL 21.6 mm [after Kilburn, 1985].
C-D - holotype of Papyriscala tricincta, ZIN 23012/1, SL 17.5 mm. E-H - specimens, collected in Sukhodol Inlet, MIMB 30353, E-F -SL 19.0 mm,

Synonymy:

Epitonium (Papyriscala) latifasciata (G. B. Sowerby II, 1874) · [in Reeve, L.A., 1873].
Epitonium trifasciatum (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844) [in Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y., 1999].
Papyriscala tricincta A. N. Golikov, 1967 [in Gul'bin, V.V., 2004].
Papyriscala tricincta A. N. Golikov, 1967 [in Gulbin, V. V., 2010].
Papyriscala tricincta A. N. Golikov, 1967 [in Kantor, Y. & Sysoev, A., 2006].
Papyriscala tricincta Golikov in Golikov et Scarlato, 1967 [in Gulbin, V. & Kantor, Y., 2015].
Scalaria grateloupeana Nyst, 1871: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria grateloupeana Nyst, 1873 [in Nyst, H., 1871].
Scalaria latifasciata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874 [in Sowerby, G. B. II., 1844].
Scalaria latifasciata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874 [in Tryon, G.W., 1887].
Scalaria trifasciata De Haen G.B. Sowerby II, 1844: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].
Scalaria trifasciata G. B. Sowerby II, 1844 [in Clessin, S., 1897].
SCALARIA TRIFASCIATA. [in Reeve, L.A., 1873].

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]
Grateloup, J.-P. S (1840). Mémoire descriptif sur plusieurs espèces de coquilles nouvelles ou peu connues de mollusques exotiques vivants, terrestres, fluviatilis et marins.. Actes de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux. 11(36). Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35029678 [Accessed 15 March 2025]
Gul'bin, V.V. (2004). Fauna of Prosobranch Gastropods of Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan, and the Biogeographical Composition. Russian Journal of Marine Biology. 30. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:RUMB.0000020563.75643.f3 [Accessed 27 January 2026]
Gulbin, V. & Kantor, Y. (2015). On the taxonomy and distribution of Papyriscala tricincta Golikov in Golikov et Scarlato, 1967. Ruthenica. 25(3). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281827099 [Accessed 17 September 2023]
Gulbin, V. V. (2010). Review of the Shell-bearing Gastropods in the Russian Waters of the East Sea. II. Caenogastropoda: Sorbeoconcha, Hypsogastropoda. Korean Journal of Malacology. 26(2). https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO201018860403872.pdf [Accessed 20 September 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. (1980). Epitoniidae I [Pack 23]. S. D. Kaicher, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.femorale.com/kaicher/species.asp?f=Epitoniidae&c=125 [Accessed 8 May 2023]
Kantor, Y. & Sysoev, A. (2006). Marine and brackish-water Gastropoda of Russia and adjacent countries: an illustrated catalogue. Russian Academy of Science. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350432257_Marine_and_brackish-water_Gastropoda_of_Russia_and_adjacent_countries_an_illustrated_catalogue [Accessed 4 January 2026]
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
Nyst, H. (1871). Tableau synoptique et synonymique des espèces vivantes et fossiles du genre Scalaria décrites par les auteurs, avec l'indication des pays de provenance ainsi que des dépôts dans lesquels les espèces fossiles ont été recueillies. Annales de la Société malacologique de Belgique. 6. Société malacologique de Belgique. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/138458 [Accessed 21 June 2025]
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]
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

Epitonium clementinum

(Grateloup, 1840)

Description:

Distribution:

Russian Eastern Sea [Gulbin, 2004 & 2010], Pacific coast of Japan [Higo, et al., 1999], Philippines, Singapore, Australia and Mauritius

Habitat:

Intertidal to 5m [Gulbin, 2010] on sand and mud substrate

Etymology:

Named after Clementine, the daughter of the Author

Type Material:

Distribution

Grateloup, J.-P. S (1840).

Plate III. Fig. 4.

original illustration

pp: 447.

original description

Nyst, H. (1871).

Shown in text as Scalaria grateloupeana Nyst, 1873

pp: 110.

pp: 111.

Tryon, G.W. (1887).

Shown in text as Scalaria latifasciata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874

Plate 11. Fig. 47.

Tryon [1875: 56] notes that S. trifasciata, De Haan (fig. 47), is a synonym. The bands are sometimes faint or obsolete.

Plate 11. Fig. 48.

pp: 56.

Clessin, S. (1897).

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

Plate 10. Fig. 9-10.

pp: 36.

Kaicher, S.D. (1980).

Kilburn, R.N (1985).

pp: 305.

designation of lectotype

Kantor, Y. & Sysoev, A. (2006).

Shown in text as Papyriscala tricincta A. N. Golikov, 1967

Plate 59. Fig. c.

C. Papyriscala tricincta, holotype, ZIN 23012/1, 17.8 mm;

Gulbin, V. & Kantor, Y. (2015).

Shown in text as Papyriscala tricincta Golikov in Golikov et Scarlato, 1967

pp: 75. Fig. G-H.

FIG. 1. Epitonium (Papyriscala) clementinum (Grateloup, 1840). G-H - specimens, collected in Sukhodol Inlet, MIMB 30353, SL 20.7 mm.

pp: 75. Fig. A-H.

Synonymy:

Source Literature:

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record

FIG. 1. Epitonium (Papyriscala) clementinum (Grateloup, 1840).
G-H - specimens, collected in Sukhodol Inlet, MIMB 30353, SL 20.7 mm.