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Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Epitonium abyssicola

(Schepman, 1909)

Description:

Dimensions range from 14 mm - 14.5 mm high and 5 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.36:1 ~ 0.34:1

Shell: pyramidal; small. Exterior colour whitish. About 8 whorls. Umbilicate: partially covered by columellar callous. Approximately 18 costae on the body whorl. Costae are thin, margins serrated. Costae with a spine at the shoulder; slightly reflected. Intercostal spaces with some spiral striae and fine growth-striae. Base regular, rounded. Columella margin broadly reflected over the umbilicus. Aperture circular.


Distribution:

Indonesia [Schepman, 1909: 226].


Habitat:

794m, fine grey mud [Schepman, 1909: 226].


Etymology:

[greek] from abyssus= abyss, bottomless, deep sea and [latin] -cola, a suffix meaning 'one who resides in. This can be translated as 'deep-sea dweller', possibly in reference to the depth at which the shell was found.


SpeciesImage

Naturalis Biodiversity Center (2026). Fig. ZMA.MOLL.136657.

Scala abyssicola Schepman, 1909
Syntype: ZMA.MOLL.136657
Between Kepulauan Sabalana and Sumbawa Indonesia.
Trawled, 794m.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
CC0 1.0

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Type Material:

The following list brings together type material and other cited specimens as reported in the sources examined, grouped under the names and designations used in each source. The same specimen may appear in multiple entries drawn from different sources. Some entries concern other species included by authors for comparison; inclusion in this list does not imply synonymy.
Scala abyssicola Schepman, 1909SyntypeZMA. Flores Sea, Sumatra, [Station 45] Lat: 07° 24'S, Lon: 118° 15.2'E. 794m. fine grey mud. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 31].ZMA.MOLL.136657. with some radiolariae & diatomes, Indonesia. 794m. fine grey mud. Between Kepulauan Sabalana (Postillon Islands) and Sumbawa . Deep-sea trawl. [Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2026: ZMA.MOLL.136657].


Schepman, M.M. (1909).
Species Image
Plate XV. Fig. 2.
Species Image
pp: 226.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (2026).
Shown in text as Scala abyssicola Schepman, 1909
Species Image
Fig. ZMA.MOLL.136657.
Scala abyssicola Schepman, 1909
Syntype: ZMA.MOLL.136657
Between Kepulauan Sabalana and Sumbawa Indonesia.
Trawled, 794m.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
CC0 1.0

Synonymy:

Scala abyssicola Schepman, 1909 [Brown & Neville, 2015: 31; Schepman, 1909: 226; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2026: ZMA.MOLL.136657]


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]
Naturalis Biodiversity Center (2026). Naturalis - Zoology and Geology catalogues [Data set]. Naturalis BioPortal. https://bioportal.naturalis.nl/nl [Accessed 5 September 2026]
Schepman, M.M. (1909). The Prosobranchia of the Siboga Expedition. Part 2. Taenioglossa and Ptenoglossa. E.J. Brill,Leyden. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34314807 [Accessed 27 July 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 at VLIZ. [Accessed 8 November 2025]

WoRMS direct page link: Open WoRMS record