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Updated 4/19/2026

Triphoridae Cerithiopsidae

Family Triphoridae

Triphorids

Triphorids are tiny attractive shells which mostly coil sinistrally, with the aperture on the left as viewed from above, with beaded spirals and two apertural notches or tubular canals.  The live and feed upon sponges at any depth, and empty shells are common in sediments and beach drift.  Species may be difficult to identify without magnification and intact protoconch.

Cerithiopsids, on the other hand, coil dextrally toward the right.  They are quite rare and difficult to identify, since little study is done on this group.

HAWAII - ENDEMIC

Triphora bicolor   

BICOLOR TRIPHORID 

 

 Subulophora peasi   

PEASE'S TRIPHORID

 
Triphora laddi   

LADD'S TRIPHORID 

 

 Triphora tuberculata  

KNOBBY TRIPHORID

 
Viriolopsis fallax

FALSE TRIPHORID 

 

 Euthymella flammulata

FLAME TRIPHORID

Metaxia brunnicephala

BROWN-TIP TRIPHORID

 

 

 

 

 

INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII

Cautor similis

SIMILAR TRIPHORID

 

 Mastonia cingulifera

BELTED TRIPHORID

 
Iniforis aemulans

RIVAL TRIPHORID

 

 Euthymella concors

PEACEFUL TRIPHORID

 
Mastoniaeformis hinuhinu

GLOSSY TRIPHORID

 

 Bouchetriphora pallida

PALE TRIPHORID

 
Inella pagoda

PAGODA TRIPHORID

 

 Opimaphora coralina

CORALLINE TRIPHORID

 

Viriola incisa

GROOVED TRIPHORID

 

Triphora sp. 10

TRIPHORA #10

 

Subulophora subfenestra

SLENDER PURPLE TRIPHORID

 

 Inella sp. 1

SLENDER BROWN TRIPHORID

Triphora sp. 2

TRIPHORA #2

 

Family Cerithiopsidae

Cerithiopsids

Small attractive, dextrally-coiled shells with beaded spirals, otherwise similar in appearance and habit to Triphorids.  Occasionally found with sponges upon which they feed under ledges or within caverns.  Empty shells are collected from sediment and beach drift.  Species are difficult to positively identify without microscopic examination of the protoconch.

 

HAWAII - ENDEMIC

Horologica turrigera    

TOWER CERITHIOPSID

 

  
 

INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII

Horologica semipicta

BANDED CERITHIOPSID

 

 Joculator ridiculus

RIDICULOUS CERITHIOPSID
Cerithiopsid sp.2

CERITHIOPSID

 

 Cerithiopsid sp.3

CERITHIOPSID
Cerithiopsis sp. 1   

CERITHIOPSID