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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epidendrium sordidum

Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005

Description:

Dimensions range from 12 mm - 16 mm high.
Width to height ratio: 00:1 ~ 00:1

Shell: broad to slender conical; fragile; small. Exterior colour protoconch is dark, purplish red, which continues on the teleoconch whorls, with later whorls white to yellowish. About 10.5 whorls; protoconch with 3.25-3.5 whorls sculptured with regularly spaced, very fine, incised,axial lines; teleoconch with ~7 whorls. Suture moderately deep suture. Umbilicate: moderately wide. Approximately 25 - 47 costae on the body whorl. Costae are orthocline, regularly, may be slightly curved, low with distinct protuberances where the costae are crossed by the spiral threads. Costae not or hardly touching the adjoining whorls. Interstices with approximately 10 spiral striae per whorl. Aperture subcircular. Operculum paucispiral, with, interconnected coils.


Distribution:

Indo-West Pacific, from Maldives, Philippines and Indonesia to Palau.


Habitat:

3-35 m., hosted by Tubastrea or Dendrophyllia spp


Etymology:

[latin] from sordidum = dirty, in reference to the appearance of the shell always appearing worn or dirty.


Type Material:

Holotype: Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Moll.100208 for Epidendrium sordidum Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005 - Type Locality: Indonesia,Sulawesi,Selat Lembeh,01°28'N125°15'E. [Gittenberger, A. & Gittenberger, E.., 2012]
Holotype: RMNH 100208 [as Epidendrium sordidum A. & E. Gittenberger, 2005:] - Type Locality: Selat Lembeh, between Tanjungnanas and Teluk Kungkungan, N Sulawesi, Indonesia, 01° 28'N, 125° 15'E.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]


SpeciesImage

Gittenberger A. & Gittenberger E. (2005). pp: 154. Fig. 53.

53, holotype, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Gittenberger A. & Gittenberger E. (2005).
Species Image
pp: 154. Fig. 53.
53, holotype, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Gittenberger, A. & Gittenberger, E.. (2012).
Species Image
pp: 150. Plate 2.
holotype
Indonesia,Sulawesi,Selat Lembeh,01°28'N125°15'E
(NaturalisBiodiversityCenter,Moll.100208)
t15.9mm 2005
Nakayama, T. & Kazunori, H. (2016).
Species Image
pp: 20. Fig. 4.
3-5 m
off Sesoko, northwestern Okinawa Island. 2005,
NSMT-Mo 77872.

Synonymy:

Epidendrium sordidum A. & E. Gittenberger, 2005: [in Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015].


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]
Gittenberger A. & Gittenberger E. (2005). A hitherto unnoticed adaptive radiation: epitoniid species (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae) associated with corals (Scleractinia).. Contributions to Zoology. 74(1-2). Contributions to Zoology. http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/43091 [Accessed 16 July 2023]
Gittenberger, A. & Gittenberger, E.. (2012). Alora redefined. Basteria. 76. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259475316_Alora_redefined_Gastropoda_Caenogastropoda_Epitoniidae [Accessed 17 September 2023]
Nakayama, T. & Kazunori, H. (2016). Description of a New Species of the Genus Epidendrium from Japan, with Taxonomical Comments on the Taxa Previously Assigned to the Genus Alora in the Northwestern Pacific (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae). Venus. 71(1-2). Malacological Society of Japan. DOI: http://doi.org/10.18941/venus.74.1-2_19 [Accessed 14 September 2023]
WoRMS Editorial Board (2025). World Register of Marine Species. https://www.marinespecies.org [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record