Epitonium

Epitonium
	The sculpture of the shell of Epitonium scalare has raised ribs that are known as costae. Costae are an almost universal feature in shells of Epitonium species.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Superfamily:	Epitonioidea
Family:	Epitoniidae
Genus:	Epitonium; Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
	Turbo scalaris Linnaeus, 1758;
Synonyms
	See text

Epitonium is a genus of small predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. Epitonium is the type genus of the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.^[1]

The common name wentletraps is derived from the Dutch word wenteltrap, denoting a spiral staircase. This refers to the striking form and sculpture of the shells of the mollusks in this genus, and to a lesser extent, the whole family.

The genus Epitonium has been divided in the past by some authors into several subgenera, but these subgenera were based only on shell characters and did not reflect the true underlying relationships or phylogeny.

Shell description[]

Epitonium shells are high-spired, and are all-white in most of the species within this genus. A few species are tinted with brown to varying degrees, or have a brown stripe on the shoulder of the whorl. The shells typically have blade-like vertical ribs, known as costae.

Habitat[]

Wentletraps usually live in sand near sea anemones or corals.

Life habits[]

These snails are predators and feed by inserting their proboscis and biting out small pieces of the anemone's tissues. Some species of wentletrap feed on only one species of sea anemone, in other words they are species-specific in terms of their prey.

Synonymised genera[]

Many species that now are placed in the genus Epitonium have, over the years, been classified in other genera. These have become synonyms of Epitonium :^[1]

Aciona Leach, 1815
Acutiscala de Boury, 1909
Amiciscala Jousseaume, 1912
Anguliscala de Boury, 1909
Asperiscala de Boury, 1909
Avalitiscala de Boury, 1912
Cinctiscala de Boury, 1909
Cirratiscala de Boury, 1909)
Clathrus Oken, 1815
Connexiscala de Boury, 1909
Crenuliscala Iredale, 1936
Crisposcala de Boury, 1886
Cyclostoma Lamarck, 1799
Decussiscala de Boury, 1909
Delicatiscala de Boury, 1909
Dulciscala de Boury, 1909
Eburniscala de Boury, 1909
Epitonium (Asperiscala) de Boury, 1909
Epitonium (Clathrus)
Epitonium (Epitonium) Röding, 1798 · accepted, alternate representation
Epitonium (Hyaloscala) de Boury, 1889 · accepted, alternate representation
Epitonium (Papyriscala) de Boury, 1909 accepted, alternate representation
Evolutiscala de Boury, 1909
Firmiscala de Boury, 1909
Folaceiscala de Boury, 1912
Foliaceiscala de Boury, 1912
Foraceiscala de Boury, 1911
Foveoscala de Boury, 1909
Fragiliscala Azuma, 1962
Fusicoscala Monterosato, 1890
Glabriscala de Boury, 1909
Graciliscala de Boury, 1909
Gradatiscala de Boury, 1909
Gyroscala (Fragiliscala) Azuma, 1962
Hirtoscala Monterosato, 1890
Hyaloscala de Boury, 1890
Innesiscala Jousseaume, 1912
Janthoscala Mörch, 1875
Labeoscala de Boury, 1912
Laeviscala de Boury, 1909
Lamelliscala de Boury, 1909
Lepidiscala de Boury, 1909
Limiscala de Boury, 1909
Limniscala Dollfus, 1913
Linctoscala Monterosato, 1890
Lineoscala de Boury, 1909
Mazescala Iredale, 1936
Melanopsis Férussac, 1807
Minutiscala de Boury, 1909
Nipponoscala Masahito & Habe, 1973
Nitidiscala de Boury, 1909
Nitidoscala Strong, 1930
Papyriscala de Boury, 1909
Parviscala de Boury, 1887
Perlucidiscala de Boury, 1912
Pudentiscala Iredale, 1938
Pupiscala Masahito, Kuroda & Habe, 1971
Resticuliscala Cossmann, 1912
Reticuliscala de Boury, 1909
Scala Mörch, 1852
Scala (Innesiscala) de Boury in Jousseaume, 1912
Scala (Perlucidiscala) de Boury in Jousseaume, 1912
Scalaria Lamarck, 1801
Scalaria (Parviscala) de Boury, 1887
Scalarus Montfort, 1810 (Unjustified emendation of Scalaria)
Scalatarius Duméril, 1806
Sodaliscala de Boury, 1909
Sphaeroscala Monterosato, 1890
Spiniscala de Boury, 1909
Turbiniscala de Boury, 1909
Viciniscala de Boury, 1909

Species[]

Epitonium hexagonum

Epitonium irregulare

Species within the genus Epitonium include:

Note: Some malacologists have recently placed many of the more than 600 named species into other genera, which were previously considered to be subgenera of the genus Epitonium. On the other hand, many species that belonged to subgenera of Epitonium are now included in Epitonium. These subgenera were based on details of the shell sculpture and not on molecular analysis.

(Schepman, 1909)
(Verco, 1906)
Dall, 1917
(Masahito & Habe 1976)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Thiele, 1925)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
Kilburn, 1985
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(d'Orbigny, 1842) - bladed wentletrap
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Weinkauff, 1866)
(Melvill, 1912)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(Jousseaume, 1894)
Kilburn, 1985
Nakayama, 2003
Kilburn, 1985
Cossignani T. & Cossignani V., 1998
(Say, 1830) - angulate wentletrap
(de Boury, 1913)
(Iredale, 1936)
(Dall, 1889) - semismooth wentletrap
Bonfitto, 2017
DuShane, 1979
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(E. A. Smith, 1890)
(Sowerby, J. de C., 1874)
(Jousseaume, 1894)
(Masahito & Habe, 1973)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Montrouzier, 1859)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Dall, 1889) - tower wentletrap
(Iredale, 1936)
(Cotton & Godfrey, 1938)
(Carpenter, 1864)
Hedley, 1907
(E. A. Smith, 1899)
Garcia E., 2001
Clench & Turner, 1953
(Barnard, 1963)
(Jousseaume, 1894)
Garcia, 2016
Kilburn, 1985
(Seguenza, 1876)
Epitonium bucknilli Powell, 1924
(Sowerby II, 1844)
(Sowerby, 1844)
Dall & Bartsch, 1910
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
Dall, 1917
Dall, 1919
(d’Orbigny, 1842)
(Monterosato, 1877)
Dall, 1919
(Weinkauff, 1866)
(Iredale, 1936)
(A. Adams, 1873)
Dall, 1908
Dall, 1917
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Aradas, 1854)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
Clench & Turner, 1952
Bozzetti, 2007
Lee & Wu, 1998
Bozzetti, 2008
(Iredale, 1936)
(Kanmacher, 1798)
Epitonium clathrum Linnaeus, 1758 - common wentletrap
Grateloup, J.P.S. de, 1840
Kilburn, 1985
Kilburn, 1985
Dall, 1917
(E. A. Smith, 1890)
Monterosato, 1877
(Yokoyama, 1922)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
Dall, 1917
(Melvill, 1904)
(Iredale, 1936)
Y.-C. Lee & C.-W. Huang, 2016
Epitonium coronatum Lamarck, 1816: synonym of (Lamarck, 1816)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(de Boury, 1912)
Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1847)
(Hinds, 1843)
Carpenter, 1864
(Pease, 1863)
Kilburn, 1985
(de Boury, 1913)
(Carpenter, 1856)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Verrill & Smith, 1880)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(Sowerby II, 1844) tooth-rib wentletrap
(Watson, 1883)
Garcia, 2003
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Lee Y.C., 2001
Hertlein & Strong, 1951
(E. A. Smith, 1906)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Bozzetti, 2007
(Dell, 1990)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
Dall, 1917
(Tapparone-Canefri, 1876)
(Dall & Simpson, 1901)
(Sowerby III, 1903)
Dall, 1917
Zelaya & Güller, 2017
(Masahito, Kuroda & Habe, 1971)
(A. Adams & Reeve, 1850)
(de Boury, 1913)
Pastorino & Penchaszadeh, 1998
Kilburn, 1985
(Sowerby, 1844)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Strebel, 1908)
L. G. Brown, 2019
(Mörch, 1852)
(Audouin, 1816)
(Watson, 1897)
(d’Orbigny, 1842) - wrinkle-rib wentletrap
Dall, 1927 - humble wentletrap
(Hanley, 1840)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Dall, 1889)
(Pease, 1861)
(Dautzenberg, 1890)
(Kiener, 1839)
(Hinds, 1843)
(Melvill & Standen, 1901)
Cotton, 1938
(DuShane, 1988)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Nakayama, 2000
(Fenaux, 1938)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Jousseaume, F.P., 1912)
Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005
(Jousseaume, F.P., 1912)
(Perry, 1811) - Greenland wentletrap
Dall, 1917
Preston, 1915
DuShane, 1970
Makiyama, 1924
(Jousseaume, 1912)
Kilburn, 1985
Gittenberger, 2003
(Habe, 1961)
(Iredale, 1936)
DuShane, 1988
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Carpenter, 1856)
(Monterosato, 1874)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
Epitonium hoeksemai Gittenberger, A., Goud & Gittenberger, E., 2000: synonym of (A. Gittenberger & Goud, 2000)
Bozzetti, 2011
DuShane & McLean, 1968
(Sowerby III, 1901)
Epitonium humphreysii (Kiener, 1838) - Humphrey's wentletrap
(Sowerby, G.B. II, 1844)
(Melvill, 1912)
Bozzetti, 2007
(Barnard, 1963)
(Sowerby II, 1844)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Thiele, 1925)
(Carpenter, 1865)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
L. Brown & Weil, 1999
Gittenberger, A., Goud & Gittenberger, E., 2000
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(G. B. Sowerby, 1905)
(Sowerby, G.B. II, 1844)
(Masahito & Habe, 1976)
Segers, Swinnen & De Prins, 2009
(Dunker, 1861)
(Clessin, 1897)
Kilburn, 1985
(Monterosato, 1878)
(Audouin, J.-V., 1827)
(de Boury, 1886)
Garcia, 2003
Epitonium jukesianum (Forbes, 1852)
Garcia, 2003
(Yokoyama, 1922)
Drivas & Jay, 1989
Nakayama, 2000
(Clessin, 1897)
(Nakayama, 1991)
(Nakayama, 1995)
(Nyst, 1871)
(Mörch, 1875) - Krebs' wentletrap
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
Kilburn, 1985
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(Lamarck, 1822) - lamellose wentletrap
Boury, E.A. de, 1911
(Sowerby II, 1874)
Bozzetti, 2009
Garcia, 2011
Nakayama, 1995
(A. Adams, 1861)
(de Boury & Monterosato, 1890)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Gittenberger, A., Goud & Gittenberger, E., 2000
(Dall, 1906)
(DuShane, 1988)
(Sowerby, 1847)
DuShane, 1970
E. A. Smith, 1910
Garcia E., 2003
(Thiele, 1925)
(Melvill, 1898)
* (Jousseaume, 1894)
Kilburn, 1985
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Sowerby II, 1844)
Clench & Turner, 1952
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(E. A. Smith, 1890)
(Schepman, 1909)
(Pease, 1861)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Epitonium minorum (Iredale, 1936)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(de Boury, 1912)
Bozzetti, 2008
de Boury, 1913
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
van Aartsen, 1996
Bonfitto, 2017
(Fenaux, 1943)
(Sowerby, 1844)
(Say, 1826)
Kilburn, 1985
(Jeffreys, 1884)
(Mörch, 1874)
L. G. Brown, 2019
(Dall, 1889)
Nakayama, 2000
Epitonium novangliae (Couthouy, 1838) - New England wentletrap
(Sowerby II, 1847)
(Sowerby, 1844)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Nyst, 1871) - fine-ribbed wentletrap
(G. B. Sowerby, 1905)
(Habe, 1961)
Bonfitto & Sabelli, 2001
Kilburn, 1985
(de Boury, 1921)
(A. Adams, 1873)
Nakayama, 2000
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Thiele, 1925)
(Kiener, 1838)
(Masahito, Kuroda & Habe 1971)
De Boury
(Iredale, 1929)
Kilburn, 1985
(Melvill, 1912)
(Pease, 1867)
(de Boury, 1913)
(Thiele, 1925)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Jousseaume, 1943)
(Sowerby II, 1844)
(Watson, 1886)
Robertson, 1994
Garcia, 2011
(Verco, 1906)
(Dall, 1889)
(Sowerby II, 1844)
(Hinds, 1843)
Nakayama, 2000
(Thiele, 1925)
Bouchet & Warén, 1986
Kilburn, 1985
Kilburn, 1977
(Bivona, 1832)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Masahito, Kuroda & Habe,1971)
(Sowerby II, 1844)
Bozzetti, 2007
(Lamarck, 1822)
(Carpenter, 1856)
(Carpenter, 1857)
Kilburn, 1985
Kilburn, 1985
Sowerby, 1844
Lee & Wu, 1998
(Watson, 1897)
(Masahito & Habe, 1976)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(Sowerby, J. de C., 1894)
Sowerby, G.B. II, 1844
(Kurtz, 1860) - brown-banded wentletrap
(Kuroda & Habe, 1961)
Kilburn, 1985
(E. A. Smith, 1890)
(Nyst, 1871)
Bozzetti, 2007
Jousseaume, 1912
Azuma, 1960
(Dall, 1903)
Epitonium scalare (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Melvill, 1910)
(Thiele, 1925)
(Jeffreys, 1884)
(Dall, 1889) - silky wentletrap
(Jousseaume, 1912)
DuShane & McLean, 1968
(Sowerby, 1894)
DuShane, 1974
(Tryon, 1887)
Bonfitto, 2010
Kilburn, 1985
Bozzetti, 2008
(Nyst, 1871)
Clessin, 1884
Kilburn, 1985
(Pilsbry, 1911)
(Nyst, 1871)
(Monterosato, 1878) - frosted wentletrap
(S. M. Souverbie, 1866)
(E. A. Smith, 1899)
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Carpenter, 1857)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(Pease, 1867)
Kilburn, 1985
Masahito & Habe, 1976
Dall, 1917
(Iredale, 1936)
Lee & Wu, 1998
Kilburn, 1985
(Sowerby, 1903)
Epitonium tenellum (Hutton, 1885)
(H. Adams, 1873)
Gray, 1827
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
(Sowerby II, 1874)
Nakayama, 2000
(Thiele, 1925)
DuShane, 1977
(Gould, 1847)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
DuShane, 1988
(Iredale, 1936)
Kilburn, 1985
(de Boury, 1890)
Clench & Turner, 1952
Dall, 1919
(Carpenter, 1865) - tinted wentletrap
(Kuroda, 1930)
Bartsch, 1938
(de Boury, 1913)
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
(Thompson W., 1840)
von Maltzan, 1885
(de Boury, 1912)
(de Boury, 1913)
(Thiele, 1930)
(Mörch, 1875)
(Turton, 1819)
Gittenberger, A., Goud & Gittenberger, E., 2000
(Pease, 1869)
(Sowerby II, 1844) - one-band wentletrap
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Jousseaume, 1912)
(Sowerby II, 1844)
Fenaux, 1938
(Jeffreys, 1884)
Bozzetti, 2009
Hertlein & Strong, 1951
(d'Orbigny, 1840)
Strong & Hertlein, 1937
Robertson, 1994
(Melvill & Standen, 1903)
Yokoyama, 1922
L.G. Brown, 2010
Bonfitto, 2017
Suzuki & Ichikawa, 1936
Bonfitto, 2017
(Melvill, 1910)
Dall, 1917

Subgenera and species brought into synonymy

Epitonium (Asperiscala)'' de Boury, 1909: synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Epitonium (Boreoscala) Kobelt, 1902: synonym of Kobelt, 1902
Epitonium (Clathrus) : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Epitonium (Kiiscala) Nakayama, 1995 : synonym of Cycloscala Dall, 1889
Epitonium delicatulum (Adams H., 1869): synonym of (H. Adams, 1873)

References[]

^ ^a ^b Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Epitonium Röding, 1798. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137943 on 2010-11-22

Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213.
"Epitonium". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1

External links[]

[WoRMS-1] Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Epitonium Röding, 1798. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137943 on 2010-11-22

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