Epitonium scalare

Epitonium scalare, common name the precious wentletrap, is a predatory or ectoparasitic species of marine gastropod with an operculum, in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.

Epitonium scalare
A shell of Epitonium scalare
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda

clade Hypsogastropoda

informal group Ptenoglossa
Superfamily:
Epitonioidea
Family:
Epitoniidae
Genus:
Epitonium
Species:
E. scalare
Binomial name
Epitonium scalare
Synonyms
  • Epitonium breve Röding, 1798
  • Epitonium gradatum Grabau & King, 1929
  • Epitonium laevis Grabau & King, 1929
  • Epitonium lineatum Röding, 1798
  • Epitonium medium Röding, 1798
  • Epitonium minor Grabau & King, 1929
  • Epitonium multivariciferum E. A. Smith, 1911
  • Epitonium principale Röding, 1798
  • Epitonium pygmaeum Grabau & King, 1929
  • Epitonium subtile Grabau & King, 1929
  • Scala pretiosa (Lamarck, 1816)
  • Scala scalaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Scalaria conica Lamarck, 1822
  • Scalaria pretiosa Lamarck, 1816
  • Scalaria scalaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Turbo scalaris Linnaeus, 1758

In the 17th and 18th century this was once considered to be a very rare shell and specimens changed hands for large sums of money. Johan de la Faille and Cosimo III de' Medici owned a wentletrap. Its habitat is subtidal in sand.

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