Home > Invertebrates > Shells > Triphoridae

Family Triphoridae

Triphorids

Small attractive shells with beaded spirals and tall spires and distinctive anterior & posterior siphonal canals.  Many genera coil sinistrally, to the left, rather than dextrally to the right.  Often found with sponges upon which they feed, worn empty shells are common in sand.  Species are difficult to positively identify without a magnifier.

Click image for information & photos

 

HAWAII

Cautor similis

SIMILAR TRIPHORID

 

 Mastonia cingulifera

BELTED TRIPHORID

 
Triphora bicolor 

BICOLOR TRIPHORID

 

 Triphora peasi 

PEASE'S TRIPHORID

 
Iniforis aemulans

RIVALING TRIPHORID

 

 Iniforis concors

CONCORS TRIPHORID

 
Mastoniaeformis hinuhinu

GLOSSY TRIPHORID

 

 Triphora pallida

PALE TRIPHORID

 
Triphora laddi

LADD'S TRIPHORID

 

 Triphora tuberculata

KNOBBY TRIPHORID

 
Mastonia troglodytes

RECLUSIVE TRIPHORID

 

 Triphora coralina

CORAL TRIPHORID

 
Viriolopsis fallax

FALSE TRIPHORID

 

Euthymella incisa

GROOVED TRIPHORID

 

Euthymella flammulata

FLAME TRIPHORID

 

 Metaxia brunnicephala

BROWN-TIP TRIPHORID

 

Inella subfenestra

SLENDER PURPLE TRIPHORID

 

 Inella sp. 1

SLENDER BROWN TRIPHORID

Triphora sp. 10

SPECIES TBD

Family Cerithiopsidae

Cerithiopsids

Small attractive, dextrally-coiled shells with beaded spirals, otherwise similar in appearance to Triphorids.  Occasionally found with sponges upon which they feed, worn empty shells occur in sand.  Species are difficult to positively identify without examination of the protoconch.

 

HAWAII

Cerithiopsis sp. 1

CERITHIOPSID