Family Epitoniidae

Shell size to 20 mm; shell elongate, with very thin, small costae. Thicker varices present interspersed among costae. Color cream or light brown, two spiral bands of darker brown color above and below periphery of whorl. Some specimens may be completely brown. Aperture white and thickened.

Shell size up to 14 mm; shell with eight to ten whorls. Sculpture of about 8-12 delicate costae per whorl. Costae round on top, lining up on successive whorls. Space between costae polished. Outer lip thickened, reflected. Color white, but first whorls pale amber. The shell in the main illustration was collected in 1970 by Marjorie "Betty" Lloyd, off West Gulf Drive on Sanibel. The live specimen was collected by Rebecca Mensch on Sanibel on April 1st, 2015, and photographed by José H. Leal.

Shell up to 20 A slender wentletrap with about 9-16 costae per whorl crossed by very fine, low spiral threads. Some costae more prominent than others. Costae at shoulder may form projections or "hooks." Color white, white faint brown markings. Operculum dark-brown.

Shell size to 14 mm; shell light, elongate, without umbilicus. Sculpture of about 13 to 18 costae on body whorl, more costae on earlier whorls. Aperture elliptical. Color porcelain-white. Differs from E. multistriatum (Say, 1826) (Atlantic U.S. coast) by consistently smaller and narrower shells, and by having whorls coiled more tightly together.

Shell size to 26 mm; shell sculpture of delicate costae, about 10 on body whorl, and background of fine spiral threads. Similar to E. candeanum (d’Orbigny, 1842), but differs from latter species by having angles or hooks on shoulders of costae, and finer spiral sculpture. Color white, sometimes with brown bands on early whorls. Until September 2010, this species was identified on this page as Epitonium cf. championi Clench & Turner, 1952. Dr. Emilio Garc&#237­a from Lafayette, LA, named the species after Shell Museum Curator and author of this guide Dr. José H. Leal. Dr. Leal is here pictured holding a shell of the species (Photo by Andrew West, Fort Myers News Press).

Shell size to 20 mm, with eight to nine whorls, elongate, spire angle small. Sculpture of eight to nine thick and strong costae per whorl. Costae somewhat angled at shoulder. Spaces between costae smooth. Color off-white, sometimes faint brownish hues on interspaces between costae. Do not confuse with E. angulatum, which is stouter, has a purer-white shell, and usually thinner costae. The operculum in this latter species is translucent yellowish-amber, whereas in E. humphreysii it is opaque blackish-brown. Live specimens collected by Rebecca Mensch on April 1st, 2015, and photographed by José H. Leal.

Shell size to 25 mm; shell elongate but robust, with six whorls which do not touch. Sculpture of about ten costae per whorl. Costae sometimes strongly angled at shoulder. Outer lip thickened, separated from body whorl by costae. Color white. Predominant and more variable wentletrap on Sanibel. Do not confuse with E. humphreysii, which is more slender, has a off-white or cream-colored shell (but white costae), and usually thicker costae. The operculum in E. angulatum is translucent yellowish-amber, whereas in E. humphreysii it is opaque blackish-brown. The live specimens were collected by Rebecca Mensch on Sanibel on April 1st, 2015, and photographed by José H. Leal.

Shell size to 18 mml shell light, elongate. Whorls touch each other or nearly so. Sculpture of 10-14 thin, delicate costae on body whorl, interspaces between costae smooth. Costae round, without hooks or projections, merging with the ones above to form slanted "lines of costae". Aperture elliptical. Color translucent-white, rarely with light-brown diffuse band below suture.

Shell size to 36 Shell slender, chalky, shell surface with ribs and background pattern of spiral cords. About 2-3 thicker ribs per whorl are present. Species in this genus display an outer shell layer called intritacalx, which easily wears off in older shells. Dall wentletrap is more commonly found in deeper water. The shell in the main image was collected in 2012 by Donnie Benton under the Blind Pass Bridge (between Sanibel and Captiva). Its shallow-water occurrence may have resulted from beach nourishment efforts that took place that year. Another shell was found by Jeanne Richards on Captiva in January 2016; this shell is shown in the first supplementary image. A third shell was found by Susan Bunkin on a beach location off West Gulf Drive on Sanibel (second supplementary photo), in January 2017. The species identification confirmed by Dr. Emilio Garc&#237­a of Lafayette, Louisiana.