Trigonostoma scalare

Trigonostoma scalare
Apertural view of shell of Trigonostoma scalare
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Cancellariidae
Genus: Trigonostoma
Species:
T. scalare
Binomial name
Trigonostoma scalare
(Gmelin, 1791)

Trigonostoma scalare is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cancellariidae, the nutmeg snails.[1]

Description

This species attains a length of around 30 mm, while large specimens can reach 45 mm. It has a consistent spiral staircase-like shaped shell, with colors ranging from white, yellow, orange, and brown. It's not known how exactly it feeds, but it's speculated that it's a suctorial feeder— living off the body fluids and predator eggs of other animals.[2]

Distribution

This species of sea snail is moderately common, and it can be found in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the Indo-West Pacific. Most specimens are obtained by tangle nets in the Philippines, and they inhabit waters of moderate depth, around the depth of -10 to 30m.[2]

References

  1. ^ Trigonostoma scalare (Gmelin, 1791). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 8 September 2010.
  2. ^ a b "The Chong Chen Archives | ConchologyCANCELLARIIDAE TRIGONOSTOMA SCALARE". conchology.be. Retrieved 7 October 2025.