Wentletrap

Wentletraps are small, often white, very high-spired, predatory or ectoparasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Epitoniidae.
The word wentletrap originated in Dutch (wenteltrap), and it means spiral staircase. These snails are sometimes also called "staircase shells", and "ladder shells".
The family Epitoniidae belongs to the superfamily Epitonioidea. Since 2017 this family also includes the former families Janthinidae (the pelagic purple snails) and Nystiellidae, all part of the informal group Ptenoglossa.
Epitoniidae is a rather large family, with an estimated number of species about 630.
Distribution
Wentletraps inhabit all seas and oceans worldwide, from the tropical zones to the Arctic and Antarctic zones.
Shell description
Most species of wentletrap are white, and have a porcelain-like appearance. They are notable for their intricately geometric shell architecture, and the shells of the larger species are prized by collectors.
The more or less turret-shaped shell consists of tightly-wound (sometimes loosely coiled), convex whorls, which create a high, conical spiral. Fine or microscopic spiral sculpture (also called "striae") is present in many species. The shells sometimes feature an umbilicus. Wentletrap shells have a roundish or oval aperture, but its inner lip is often reduced to strip of callus. The round and horny operculum is paucispiral and fits the aperture tightly. Most of the species in the family are small to minute, although some are larger, and overall the adult shell length in the family varies between 0.6 and 11.7 cm.
Within the genus Epitonium, the type genus of the family, the shell has predominantly axial sculpture of high, sharply ribbed "costae". These costae may offer some protection against other predatory snails, which would find it difficult or impossible to bore a hole in a shell with such obstructions.
Ecology
Wentletraps are usually found on sandy bottoms near sea anemones or corals, which serve as a food source for them. Some species are foragers and search for anemones.
Little is known about the biology of most wentletraps. Keen (1958) has his literature most cited. He observed that many wentletraps reveal a hint of purple body color, suggestive of carnivorous feeding. The animal can exude through its salivary gland a pink or purplish dye that may have an anaesthetic effect on its prey.
Keen also cited direct observation of a wentletrap feeding by insertion of its proboscis into a sea anemone.
A sequence of a wentletrap feeding on an anemone has been published. These snails also prey on corals and other coelenterates.
Female wentletraps lay egg capsules that are bound together with a supple string. The young emerge from these capsules as free-swimming larvae.
Genera
Genera within the family Epitoniidae include:
Acirsa Mörch, 1857
Acrilloscala Sacco 1891
Alexania Strand, 1928
Alora (H. Adams, 1861)
Amaea H. & A. Adams, 1853
Boreoscala Kobelt, 1902 (possibly a synonym of Cirsotrema)
Cerithiscala de Boury, 1887
Chuniscala Thiele, 1928
Cingulacirsa Higo & Goto, 1993
Cirsotrema Mörch, 1852
Claviscala de Boury, 1909
Couthouyella Bartsch 1909
Crebriscala de Boury, 1909
Cycloscala Dall, 1889
Cylindriscala de Boury, 1909
Depressiscala de Boury 1909
Ecclesiogyra Dall, 1892
Eglisia Gray, 1842
Epidendrium A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2005
Epifungium A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2005
Epitonium Röding, 1798
Eulima Risso, 1826
Filiscala de Boury, 1911
Foratiscala de Boury 1887
Funiscala de Boury, 1890
Globiscala de Boury, 1909
Gregorioiscala Cossman, 1912
Gyroscala de Boury, 1887
Iphitus Jeffreys, 1883
Janthina Röding, 1798
Kurodacirsa Masahito & Habe, 1975
Minabescala Nakayama, 1994
Narvaliscala Iredale, 1936
Opalia H. & A. Adams, 1853
Opaliopsis Thiele, 1928
Periapta Bouchet & Waren, 1986
Plastiscala Iredale, 1936
Problitora Iredale, 1931
Punctiscala Philippi, 1844
Recluzia Petit de la Saussaye, 1853
Rutelliscala Kilburn, 1985
Sthenorhytis Conrad 1862
Surrepifungium A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2005
† Turriscala de Boury, 1890 †
Variciscala de Boury, 1909
Varicopalia Kuroda MS, 1960 (nomen nudum)
Genera brought into synonymy
Acrilla H. Adams, 1860: synonym of Amaea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
Acutiscala de Boury, 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Amiciscala Jousseaume 1912 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Asperiscala de Boury, 1909: synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Cinctiscala de Boury 1909 : synonym of Asperiscala de Boury, 1909
Cirratiscala de Boury, 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Clathroscala de Boury 1889 : synonym of Amaea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
Clathrus Oken 1815 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Compressiscala Masahito (Prince) & Habe 1976 : synonym of Gregorioiscala Cossmann, 1912
Dannevigena Iredale 1936 : synonym of Cirsotrema Mörch, 1852
Foliaceiscala de Boury 1912 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Fragiliscala Azuma 1962 : synonym of Amaea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
FragilopaliaAzuma 1972 : synonym of Amaea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
Glabriscala de Boury 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Lampropalia Kuroda & Ito, 1961 : synonym of Cylindriscala de Boury, 1909
Mazescala Iredale 1936 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Nipponoscala Masahito (Prince) & Habe 1973 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Nodiscala de Boury 1889 : synonym of Opalia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
Nystiella Clench & Turner, 1952 : synonym of Opaliopsis Thiele, 1928
Sagamiscala Masahito, Kuroda & Habe, 1971 : synonym of Globiscala de Boury, 1909
Scala Mörch, 1852 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Scalina Conrad, 1865 : synonym of Amaea H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
Spiniscala de Boury, 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Turbiniscala de Boury 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
Viciniscala de Boury 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798
References
Further reading
A. Weil, L. Brown and B. Neville, 1999, The Wentletrap Book: A Guide to the Recent Epitoniidae of the World, Mal de Mer Enterprises
Manuella Folly & Silvio Felipe & Silvio Lima, Records and Descriptions of Epitoniidae (Orthogastropoda: Epitonioidea) from the Deep Sea off Northeastern Brazil and a Checklist of Epitonium and Opalia from the Atlantic Coast of South America; International Journal of Zoology Volume 2012, Article ID 394381, 12 pages
External links
wentletrap, Britannica
Shell catalogue : EPITONIIDAE
Epitoniidae, Wentletraps
NC Sea Grant, Seashells of North Carolina Field Guide
WentletrapArt, Wentletrapart International Art Residency Program
OBIS Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database : Epitoniidae
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642