Wentletraps are small, often white, very high-

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

predatory Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

or ecto

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

s, marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 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 The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean and can be further divided into regions by depth. The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or water column between the sur ...

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 In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...

, 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 Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

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 anemone Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemone ...

s or

coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

s, which serve as a food source for them. Some species are

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used m ...

rs 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 The salivary glands in many vertebrates including mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands ( parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), as well as hundreds of min ...

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 A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular arthropod mouthparts, mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a pr ...

into a

. 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

s and other

coelenterate Radiata or Radiates is a historical taxonomic rank that was used to classify animals with radially symmetric body plans. The term Radiata is no longer accepted, as it united several different groupings of animals that do not form a monophyletic ...

s. Female wentletraps lay egg capsules that are bound together with a supple string. The young emerge from these capsules as free-swimming

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

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 ''Janthina'' is a genus of small to medium-sized pelagic or planktonic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Epitoniidae.Gofas, S. (2011). Janthina Röding, 1798. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.ma ...

'' 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 Philippi (; , ''Phílippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides (, ''Krēnĩdes'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC. The city was renamed by Phili ...

, 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 * ''Fragilopalia''Azuma 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

External links

wentletrap
Britannica
Shell catalogue : 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
{{Authority control Epitoniidae,