Epitonium scalare
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Description:
Dimensions range from 36 mm - 70 mm high and 16 mm - 42.5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.44:1 ~ 0.61:1
Shell: ventricose, stout, conical, elongated, turreted, rather broad at the base; moderately small to medium. Exterior colour white to pale grey or fawn, white to pale grey or fawn, snowy white or sometimes pale flesh-colour, costae white. About 12 whorls, strongly convex, rapidly increasing, rounded, separated, connected by the costae; protoconch smooth, glass-like and opaque; teleoconch with 8-12 whorls. Spire extended. Suture widely perforated. Umbilicate: widely open, the early whorls being visible from within. Approximately 8 - 15 costae on the body whorl. Costae are low, solid, occasionally thickened. Costae aligned; not coronate; somewhat recurved, edges slightly rolled over; joined across the suture. Intercostal spaces with microscopic fine spiral threads. Base with ribs extending onto the base. Columella reflected below, thickened. Aperture oblong-ovate, large, brown within, lip reflected, the lip being the last costa produced; peristome complete. Operculum black, paucispiral.
Distribution:
Indo-West Pacific; China, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia; Queensland south to Hervey Bay, Australia; India, Sri Lanka, Red Sea; Natal, South Africa. Mørch [187: 252] also cites a specimen as Scala principalis Pallas, 1774 from the British Virgin Islands
Habitat:
to 50m, sand
Etymology:
from scalaris [latin] =relating to or resembling a flight of stairs, or a ladder
Type Material:
Type figure: Turbo scalaris Linné, 1758:764 (type figure, designated Clench & Turner, 1951, Gualtieri, 1742: pl. 10, fig. 22) for Epitonium scalare (Linnaeus, 1758) - Locality: Type locality unknown. [Kilburn, R.N, 1985]
Types. Among the references of Linné is that of Gaultieri 1742, plate 10, fig. 22 which we here select to be the type figure. According to Hanley (1855, Ipsa Linnaei Conchylia, p. 389) Linné did not possess a specimen of this species at the time his description was written, but depended upon the figures of other authors. [Clench & Turner, 1951] for Epitonium scalare (Linnaeus, 1758). [Clench, W. J. & Turner, R. D., 1951]
none designated. [as Scalaria conica Lamarck, 1801] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
not located; the figures in the two publications differ slightly but noticeably. [as Scalaria disjuncta Perry, 1811] - Locality: “the Eastern Seas” (Perry 1811a: unnumbered page); “Ceylon and Amboyna” (Perry 1811b: unnumbered page).. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
none designated. [as Scalaria genuina Link, 1807] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type not located. [as Epitonium laevis Grabau & King, 1928] - Locality: Peitaiho.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type not located. [as Epitonium lineatum Röding, 1798] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type not located. [as Epitonium medium Röding, 1798] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Holotype: M. Smith coll. (holotype). [as Scala pretiosa (Linn.), n. var. multivaricifera M. Smith, 1911] - Locality: China.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type not located. [as Epitonium principale Röding, 1798] - Locality: not given.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type not located. [as Turbo scalaris var. rosea Spalowsky, 1795] - Locality: “Littus ad Coromandel ind. orient.” [Coromandel coast of the Indian Ocean.] Status: an available name; a junior subjective synonym of Epitonium scalare (Linnaeus, 1758).. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Type Figure: the figure of Gualtieri (1742: pl. 10, fig. ZZ) (lectotype, designated [as “fig. 22”] by Clench & Turner 1951: 252). [as Turbo scalaris Linnaeus, 1758: -Turbo scalaris var. rosea Spalowsky, 1795;~ Epitonium breve Röding, 1798;~ Epitonium lineatum Röding, 1798;~ Epitonium medium Röding, 1798;~ Epitonium principale Röding, 1798;~ Scalaria conica Lamarck, 1801;~ Scalaria genuina Link, 1807;~ Scalarus scalata Montfort, 1810; ~ Scalaria disjuncta Perry, 1811a; ~ Scalaria disjuncta Perry, 1811b; ~ Scalaria pretiosa Lamarck, 1816; ~ Scala pretiosa var. multivaricifera M. Smith, 1911; ~ Epitonium (Scalaria) pretiosa var. minor Grabau & King, 1928a.] - Locality: unknown.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Syntypes: MBM280648 (ex GKLNH, 7 shells) [as Scalaria pretiosa var. minor Grabau & S. G. King, 1928] - Locality: Peitaiho, Hebei Province, China, July 1925. [Coan, E. & Lutaenko, K. & ZHANG, J. & Sun, Q., 2015]
Type: none designated for Epitonium scalare (Linnaeus, 1758). [Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y., 1999]
Type not located [as [Turbo] principalis Pallas, 1774] - Locality: none located. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874). Plate i. Fig. 4.
Distribution
as listed in source literature
Gualtieri, N. (1742).
Plate ZZ.
illustration referred to in the original description
Linnaeus, C (1758).
pp: 764.
original description
Röding, P. F. (1798).
Shown in text as Epitonium lineatum Röding, 1798
pp: 94.
Montfort P. [Denys de] (1810).
Shown in text as Scalaria scalata Montfort, 1810
pp: 295.
pp: 296.
Lamarck, J. B. P. A. de M. de (1816).
Plate 451. Fig. 1b.
Plate 451. Fig. 1a.
Dillwyn, L. W. (1817).
Shown in text as Turbo scalaris Linnaeus, 1758
pp: 852-852.
of interest is this note about monies paid for this species Da Costa, in his Elements of Conchology, relates that in 1753, at the sale of Commodore Lisle's collection, four of these Wentletraps were sold as follows:
First day, Lot 96, one not quite perfect - £16 16s. 0d.
Third day, Lot 98, a very fine and perfect one - £18 18s. 0d.
Fourth day, Lot 101, one - £16 16s. 0d.
Sixth day, Lot 83, one - £23 2s. 0d.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Shown in text as Scala pretiosa Lamark
Plate xxxii. Fig. 17.
pp: 83.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1873-1874).
Shown in text as Scalaria pretiosa
Plate i. Fig. 4.
Kiener, L. C., & Fischer, P (1873).
Shown in text as SCALAIRE PRÉCIEUSE. Scalaria pretiosa, LaM.
Plate 1. Fig. 1.
pp: 3.
pp: 4.
Tryon, G.W. (1879).
Plate 11. Fig. 31.
pp: 54.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Shown in text as Scalaria pretiosa Lamarck, 1816
Plate 3. Fig. 2.
pp: 9.
Shell large, swollen, broadly umbilicated, pale yellowish-purple between the varices; whorls rapidly increasing, rounded, separated; varices distant, lamellar, prominently projecting, slightly crenulated; aperture large, brown inside, columella reflexed and thickened below.
Smith, M (1911).
Shown in text as Scala pretiosa var. multivaricifera M. Smith, 1911
pp: 56-57.
Jousseaume, F. (1912).
pp: 196-194.
Mermod, G. (1963).
Shown in text as Scalaria pretiosa Lamarck, 1816
pp: 160.
pp: 160. Fig. 225.
Wilson, B.R. (1993).
pp: 379. Fig. 17a.
Nakayama, T. (2003).
pp: 123. Plate 10. Fig. 11-13.
figs 11-13: Epitonium (Epitonium)scalare (Linnaeus, 1758)
height 43.6 mm; breadth 27.0 mm (NA); fig. 13, base
pp: 123. Plate 10. Fig. 11-13.
figs 11-13: Epitonium (Epitonium) scalare (Linnaeus, 1758)
height 43.6 mm; breadth 27.0 mm (NA); fig. 13, base
Coan, E. & Lutaenko, K. & ZHANG, J. & Sun, Q. (2015).
Shown in text as Scalaria pretiosa var. minor Grabau & S. G. King, 1928
