Epitonium sp. 21

This is similar to our Epitonium irregulare, but has more closely spaced ribs than our E. irregulare or other published figures of the species (e.g., www.gastropods.com, Brown in Poppe (2008)). At Kwajalein, this species is rare. A couple of specimens have been found at night feeding on what appear to be Lobophyllia hard corals. Another was found during the day buried in sand a few cm below a partially dead faviid hard coral; the presence of the shell was revealed because a few sandy ball egg masses were present on the surface of the sand right above where it was buried. It is possible that the ones found on Lobophyllia and the one near the faviid were not the same species; our photos of the former are rather old and of low resolution so an accurate comparison could not be made. The first few shots show the one found with the faviid.

With its egg capsules.

Below is one of the ones on the Lobophyllia coral at night.

Created 17 April 2017
Updated 25 June 2019

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