Wentletraps are small, often white, very high-spired, predatory or ectoparasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Epitoniidae.Gofas, S. (2010). Epitoniidae. 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=132 on 24 April 2011 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.
The word wentletrap originated in Dutch (wenteltrap), and it means spiral staircase. These snails are sometimes also called "staircase shells", and "ladder shells".
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) is most often 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.Collin, Rachel (2000). "Development and anatomy of Nitidiscala tincta (Carpenter, 1865) (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae)". The Veliger 43(4): 302-312. 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 Acrilla H. Adams, 1860 Acrilloscala Sacco 1891 Alexania Strand, 1928 Alora (H. Adams, 1861) Amaea H. & A. Adams, 1853 Boreoscala Kobelt, 1902 (possibly a synonym of Cirsotrema) † Cavoscala Whitfield, 1892 † Cerithiscala de Boury, 1887 Chuniscala Thiele, 1928 Cingulacirsa Higo & Goto, 1993 (unaccepted > nomen nudum) † Circuloscala de Boury, 1886 Cirsotrema Mörch, 1852 Clathroscala de Boury, 1890 † Clathrus Agassiz, 1837 Claviscala de Boury, 1909 † Confusiscala de Boury, 1909 Couthouyella Bartsch 1909 Crebriscala de Boury, 1909 Cycloscala Dall, 1889 Cylindriscala 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 Fragilopalia Azuma, 1972 Funiscala de Boury, 1890 † Gibboscala Kollmann, 2005 Globiscala de Boury, 1909 † Goniscala Marwick, 1943 Gregorioiscala Cossman, 1912 Gyroscala de Boury, 1887 Iphitus Jeffreys, 1883 Janthina Röding, 1798 Kurodacirsa Masahito & Habe, 1975 † Liapinella Guzhov, 2006 Mammiscala de Boury, 1909 Minabescala Nakayama, 1994 Murdochella H. J. Finlay, 1926 Narrimania Taviani, 1984 Narvaliscala Iredale, 1936 Opalia H. & A. Adams, 1853 Opaliopsis Thiele, 1928 Periapta Bouchet & Waren, 1986 † Plicacerithium Gerasimov, 1992 Propescala Cotton & Godfrey, 1931 † Proscala Cossmann, 1912 Punctiscala Philippi, 1844 Recluzia Petit de la Saussaye, 1853 Rectacirsa Iredale, 1936 Rutelliscala Kilburn, 1985 Sthenorhytis Conrad 1862 Striatiscala de Boury, 1909 Surrepifungium A. Gittenberger & E. Gittenberger, 2005 Tenuiscala de Boury, 1887 Tumidiacirsa de Boury, 1911 † Turriscala de Boury, 1890 † Variciscala de Boury, 1909 Varicopalia Kuroda MS, 1960 (nomen nudum)
Synonyms
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 Depressiscala de Boury 1909 : synonym of Epitonium Röding, 1798 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 Plastiscala Iredale, 1936 : synonym of Acirsa Mörch, 1857 (junior subjective synonym) Problitora Iredale, 1931 : synonym of Alexania Strand, 1928 (uncertain synonym) 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