Clanculus stigmatarius

Lore & Background

The shell of Clanculus stigmatarius is widely conical and top-shaped, with a spire that is more highly raised than is typical for the genus. Its sculpture consists of spirally ribbed, conspicuous regular rows of robust, round beads. The whorls show a deep suture, and the final whorl is slightly inflated. The aperture is white, oval, with a strongly ridged lip, and the umbilicus is deep. The main color of the body of the shell is tan to golden, with a distinctive repeating pattern of rounded beads in colors that include bright pink, red, and ivory white.

The species occurs from Port Douglas to Capricorn and Bunker Group, Queensland, Australia in the Indo-Pacific. Alternately, the distribution is listed as Australia, New Caledonia, Western Pacific, Philippines. A single reference has been found for the species in Okinawa, Japan.

The species was described by Adams in 1853 in a monograph of the Trochidae. Subsequent references include works by Fischer (1877), Hedley (1907), Oliver (1915), Short & Potter (1987), Wilson (1993), and Jansen (1995).

Reader's Guide

Clanculus stigmatarius is a species of sea snail in the family Trochidae, documented in multiple scientific works from 1853 onward. Its shell morphology—a widely conical trochid shape with a raised spire, spirally ribbed sculpture of robust round beads, and a deep umbilicus—distinguishes it within the genus. The shell's tan to golden body color, accented by repeating patterns of bright pink, red, and ivory beads, makes it visually distinctive. The species has a broad reported distribution across the Indo-Pacific, including Queensland, Australia, New Caledonia, the Western Pacific, the Philippines, and a single record from Okinawa, Japan. The source article notes an alternate distribution listing, preserving the uncertainty. The species has been referenced in works by Adams (1853), Fischer (1877), Hedley (1907), Oliver (1915), Short & Potter (1987), Wilson (1993), and Jansen (1995), indicating sustained scientific interest. Its significance lies in its well-documented shell characteristics and its occurrence across a wide geographic range, contributing to the understanding of trochid diversity in the Indo-Pacific.

Did You Know?

• The shell has a widely conical trochid shape with a more highly raised spire than typical for the genus.
• The species occurs from Port Douglas to Capricorn and Bunker Group, Queensland, Australia, and also in New Caledonia, Western Pacific, and Philippines.