Family Eratoidae and Triviidae

This page links to species in the families Eratoidae and Triviidae. Species of Eratoidae have at times been placed within the Triviidae, but as of this writing, they are again two separate families. Most of the eratoids and triviids are small white shells shaped roughly like cowries but covered with ridges. With similar shapes but little or no color and current species differentiation based primarily (solely?) on shell characteristics, species are notoriously difficult to tell apart and many of our IDs are tentative. The scientific literature and our own field observations suggest triviid species feed on tunicates, sometimes crawling inside to eat them from the inside out. All Marshall Islands species are small; shells we have measured ranged from about 2.5 to 8.05mm. (Click on a thumbnail for pages with larger images.)

Eratoidae


Eratoena sulcifera


Eratoena sulcifera

Triviidae


Cleotrivia globosa


Purpurcapsula exigua

Trivirostra edgari

Trivirostra hordacea


Trivirostra cf hyalina

Trivirostra mactanica

Trivirostra oryza

Trivirostra pellucidula

Trivirostra cf pellucidula

Trivirostra cf spioinsula

Trivirostra sp. 1

We have a number of photographs of living animals, but have not attempted to separate them out into the species we record from the Marshalls. We are listing them as Trivia spp., although there are certainly other genera involved. Some of the tentative species below were separated on the basis of minor differences in animal color, and several almost certainly can be lumped together. However, we thought it was worthwhile to post the variations in animal color, and perhaps in the future someone can do detailed comparisons between animal and shell characteristics to try to more positively identify them.


Trivia sp. k001


Trivia sp. k008

Trivia sp. k015

Trivia sp. k002

Trivia sp. k005

Trivia sp. k010

Trivia sp. k006

Trivia sp. k007

Trivia sp. k003

Trivia sp. k004

Trivia sp. k011

Trivia sp. k009

Trivia sp. k013

Trivia sp. k012

Trivia sp. k014

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