The One-banded Wentletrap, Epitonium unifasciatum (G.B. Sowerby II, 1844), is one of the less common among the 9 species of wentletraps (family Epitoniidae) found on Sanibel-Captiva. Its shell rarely surpasses 13 mm (about 0.5 inch), and is festooned with 7–10 costae (“ribs”) that are joined from one whorl to the next. The species name alludes to the narrow, light-brown band present below the suture. The shell in the photos is a juvenile, lacking a well-defined brown band. It measures 8 mm, and is one two found by Steve Rosenthal in shell grit collected at low tide, west of the Sanibel Lighthouse Fishing Pier just after Hurricane Nate, in October 2017. The shell ID was confirmed by wentletrap specialists Len Brown and Dr. Emilio García.
The One-banded Wentletrap, Epitonium unifasciatum, from the Sanibel Lighthouse Fishing Pier, Sanibel. Photos by José H. Leal.