Epitoniidae Berry, 1910 (1812)

Opalia mammosa

(Melvill & Standen, 1903)

Description:

Dimensions range from 3.6 mm high.

Shell: ; somewhat solid; minute. Exterior colour white. About 8 whorls; protoconch with ~4 whorls attenuate, mamillate, smooth, and white-brown; teleoconch with ~4 whorls ventricose, and coarsely lamellated. Suture impressed. Umbilicate. Occasional with a varix appearing randomly on the shell. Aperture round; outer lip continuous, thickened, white outer lip, finely striated.

Distribution:

Gulf of Oman; Singer (1998: 20) reported a fresh dead specimen from 20 m depth near Sinai in the Red Sea.

Habitat:

20-285 m.

Type Material:

Syntypes: NHMUK 1903.12.15.8-9 (2 syntypes, K. Way, in litt.); 8 syntypes, NMW 1955.158.227 (Trew 1987: 51). for Opalia mammosa (Melvill & Standen, 1903) - Type Locality: Gulf of Oman, 24° 58' N, l 56° 54' E, 156 fms [= 285 m], in shell sand.. [Brown, L. & Neville, B.D., 2015]

SpeciesImage

Melvill, J. C. & Standen, R (1903). Plate VII. Fig. 15.

Scala (Cirsotrema) mammosa sp.n. (PI. VII., fig. 15).

Distribution

as listed in source literature

Melvill, J. C. & Standen, R (1903).

Species Image

Plate VII. Fig. 15.

Scala (Cirsotrema) mammosa sp.n. (PI. VII., fig. 15).

Species Image

pp: 349-350.

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]
Melvill, J. C. & Standen, R (1903). The genus Scala (Klein) Humphrey, as represented in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and North Arabian Sea, with descriptions of new species.. Journal of Conchology. 10. Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31650162 [Accessed 26 February 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