Eucithara

Belongs within: Mangeliidae.

Dazed and Cythara

Published 19 August 2026

I’ve had occasion multiple times on this site to comment on the taxonomic complications surrounding the conoid gastropods, ‘turrids’ in the broad sense. Nevertheless, among the more complicated cases is that of the genus name Cythara.

Cythara striata was established by Christian Schumacher in 1817 for a shell that had been illustrated in 1780 in volume 4 of Johann Chemnitz’s Conchylien-Cabinet. Though the Conchylien-Cabinet was an enormous work that was extensively referred to by subsequent authors, it did not apply binomial names to many of the taxa illustrated—hence the impetus to do so by reviewers. Unfortunately, both the original illustration and descriptions provided for Cythara striata were fairly basic, resulting in long-running disputes over the identity of the animal concerned. Some identified it as a ‘turrid’, some as another form of neogastropod, some even considered it a stromboid. Matters were not helped by other authors independently proposing their own names for the same Conchylien-Cabinet figure, which are therefore all objective synonyms (for the record, the earliest available name for this taxon appears to be Röding’s Pterygia subterranea, proposed in 1798). Nevertheless, Cythara came to be used as a genus name for a large number of conoid species, both living and fossil.

In 1883, Paul Fischer proposed a new genus name Eucithara to replace to replace Schumacher’s Cythara, under the belief that the latter was preoccupied (it was not). In his description of Eucithara, Fischer referred to a single species Mangelia stromboides as an example. Though Fischer was mistaken in his reason for proposing the new name, Hedley (1922) adopted Eucithara as a genus name to include the conoids previously assigned to ‘Cythara’ due to the unidentifiability of the latter. As the species originally included in Eucithara by Fischer, M. stromboides was identified as that genus’ type. Eucithara was identified as an Indo-Pacific genus with a solid, fusiform to ovate-biconical shell and a long, narrow aperture marked by numerous plicae or denticles on both the inner and outer lips (Powell 1966). Some authors, it should be noted, continued to use the name Cythara for this group, particularly among palaeontologists.

Though the more vexing questions were sidestepped by the adoption of Eucithara, the issue can certainly not be considered solved. The definition of the genus remained broad, and nigh on a hundred species have been assigned to it over the years. This assemblage is almost certainly not monophyletic but breaking it down is not easy. Kilburn (1992) highlighted the specialised radular form that has been found in species related to E. stromboides, but the radula has not been described for many species (and is, of course, inacessible for fossil taxa).

Also, there’s another issue that seems to have been uniformly overlooked. As noted above, Mangelia stromboides has been taken as the type species of Eucithara due to its citation by Fischer. But, if Eucithara was established as a replacement name for Cythara, its type species is automatically that of the original genus, no matter what Fischer might have said. And if Eucithara must be tied to the self same figure of Chemnitz’s, then we’re right back where we started.

Systematics of Eucithara

<==Eucithara Fischer 1883 [incl. Cythara Schumacher 1817 (n. d.); Cytharinae]BK11
    |--E. fusiformis (Reeve 1846)K92 (see below for synonymy)
    |--E. abakcheutos Kilburn 1992K92
    |--E. abbreviata (Garrett 1873) [=Cithara abbreviata]P66
    |--E. alacris Hedley 1922P66 [incl. E. maculata Brazier 1876 (preoc.)C47]
    |--E. amabilis (Nevill & Nevill 1874) [=Cithara amabilis]P66
    |--E. angela (Adams & Angas 1864) [=Cithara angela; incl. C. balansai Crosse 1873, Mangilia (Cithara) balansai]H22
    |--E. angiostoma (Pease 1868) [=Cythara angiostoma]K92
    |--E. antillarum (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia antillarum, Mangilia antillarum]K92
    |--E. arenivaga Hedley 1922P66
    |--E. articulata (Sowerby 1894) [=Cythara articulata]P66
    |--‘Cythara’ attenuataP71
    |--E. basedowi Hedley 1918H22
    |--E. bathyraphe (Smith 1882) [=Pleurotoma (Glyphostoma) bathyraphe]K92
    |--‘Pleurotoma (Cithara)’ biclathrata Souverbie 1872K92
    |--E. bicolor (Reeve 1846)K92 [=Mangelia bicolorK92, Cythara bicolorH22, Mangilia bicolorK92]
    |--E. bisacchii (Hornung & Mermod 1928) [=Mangilia bisacchii]K92
    |--E. brocha Hedley 1922P66
    |--E. caledonica (Smith 1882)P66 [=Pleurotoma (Mangilia) caledonicaP66, Mangelia zonata var. caledonicaH22]
    |--E. capillaris Kilburn & Dekker 2008KD08
    |--E. capillata (Hervier 1897)K92 [=Cithara capillataK92, Mangelia capillataKD08]
    |--E. castanea (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia castanea]P66
    |--E. cazioti (Preston 1905) [=Mangilia (Glyphostoma) cazioti]K92
    |--E. cincta (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia cincta]P66
    |--E. cinnamomea (Hinds 1843) [=Mangelia cinnamomea]K92
    |--E. columbelloides (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia columbelloides]P66
    |--E. compressicosta (Boettger 1895) [=Cithara (Cithara) compressicosta]K92
    |--E. coniformis (Reeve 1846)P66 [=Mangelia coniformisP66, Cythara coniformisH22, Pleurotoma (Cithara) coniformisH22]
    |--E. conohelicoides (Reeve 1846)P66 [=Mangelia conohelicoidesP66; incl. Pleurotoma (Cithara) onager Souverbie 1875H22]
    |--E. coronata (Hinds 1843)K92 (see below for synonymy)
    |--E. crystallina (Hervier 1897) [=Cithara crystallina]P66
    |--E. decussata (Pease 1868)K92 [=Cithara decussataP66]
    |--E. delacouriana (Crosse 1869)K92 [=Cithara delacourianaK92; incl. C. matakuana Smith 1884K92, Eucithara matakuanaP66]
    |--E. diaglypha (Hervier 1898) [=Cithara diaglypha]P66
    |--E. dubiosa (Nevill & Nevill 1875) [=Cythara dubiosa]P66
    |--E. duplaris (Melvill 1923) [=Cythara duplaris]K92
    |--E. edithae (Melvill & Standen 1901) [=Cythara edithae]P66
    |--E. elegans (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia elegans]K92
    |--E. ella (Thiele 1925)K92 [=Mangelia ellaP66]
    |--E. eumerista (Melvill & Standen 1896) [=Mangelia eumerista; incl. M. signum Melvill & Standen 1896]H22
    |--‘Mangelia’ fasciata Gray in Reeve 1846K92
    |--E. funiculata (Reeve 1846)K92 [=Mangelia funiculataP66]
    |--‘Cythara’ garrettii Pease 1860K65
    |--E. gibbosa (Reeve 1846)K92 [=Mangelia gibbosaK92, Cithara gibbosaH22]
    |--E. glabra (Harris 1897)P66 [=Mangilia (Cythara) glabraP66, Guraleus glaberH22]
    |--E. gracilis (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia gracilis]K92
    |--E. gradata (Nevill & Nevill 1875) [=Cythara gradata]K92
    |--E. grata (Smith 1884) [=Pleurotoma (Mangilia) grata]K92
    |--E. gruveli (Dautzenberg 1932) [=Glyphostoma gruveli]K92
    |--E. guentheri (Sowerby 1893) [=Cythara guentheri]K92
    |--E. hirasei (Pilsbry 1904)K92 [=Mangilia (Cythara) hiraseiP66]
    |--E. interstriata (Smith 1876) [=Cythara interstriata]K92
    |--E. isseli (Nevill & Nevill 1875) [=Cythara isseli]P66
    |--E. lamellata (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia lamellata]P66
    |--E. lepidella (Hervier 1897) [=Cithara lepidella]P66
    |--E. lyra (Reeve 1846)P66 (see below for synonymy)
    |--E. macteola Kilburn 1992K92
    |--E. makadiensis Kilburn & Dekker 2008KD08
    |--E. marerosa Kilburn 1992K92
    |--E. marginelloides (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia marginelloides]P66
    |--E. miriamica Hedley 1922P66
    |--E. monochoria Hedley 1922K92
    |--E. moraria Hedley 1922P66
    |--E. nana (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia nana]K92
    |--E. nevilliana (Preston 1904) [=Cythara nevilliana]P66
    |--E. novaehollandiae (Reeve 1846)K92 (see below for synonymy)
    |--E. obesa (Reeve 1846)K92 (see below for synonymy)
    |--E. oppenoorthi (Oostingh 1938) [=Cythara oppenoorthi]P66
    |--E. pagoda (May 1911) [=Daphnella pagoda]H22
    |--E. perhumerata Kilburn & Dekker 2008KD08
    |--E. pulchella (Reeve 1846)P66 [=Mangelia pulchellaP66, Cithara pulchellaH22]
    |--E. pusilla (Pease 1860)K92 [=Cythara pusillaK65, Daphnella pusillaK65]
    |--E. ringens (Sowerby 1893) [=Cythara ringens]K92
    |--E. rugosolabiata (Yokoyama 1922) [=Mangilia rugosolabiata]P66
    |--E. sawitrae (Beets 1941) [=Cythara sawitrae]P66
    |--E. seychellarum (Smith 1884) [=Cithara seychellarum]K92
    |--E. solida (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia solida]P66
    |--E. souverbiei (Tryon 1884)P66 [=Mangilia souverbieiP66, Cithara souverbieiH22]
    |--E. striatella (Smith 1884) [=Cithara striatella, Cythara striatella]K92
    |--E. striatissima (Sowerby 1907) [=Cythara striatissima, Mangilia (Cithara) striatissima]K92
    |--‘Cythara’ strigata Pease 1863K65
    |--E. subglobosa (Hervier 1897) [=Cithara subglobosa]P66
    |--‘Pterygia’ subterranea Röding 1798 [=Cancellaria citharella Lamarck 1822, *Cythara striata Schumacher 1817]P66
    |--E. tenebrosa (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia tenebrosa]K92
    |--E. trivittata (Adams & Reeve 1850)P66 [=Mangelia trivittataH22, E. (Leiocithara) trivittataP66]
    |--E. turricula (Reeve 1846) [=Mangelia turricula non Murex turricula Montagu 1803 (not preoc. if in dif. gen.)]K92
    |--E. typhonota (Melvill & Standen 1901) [=Cythara typhonota]K92
    |--E. typica (Smith 1884) [=Cithara typica]K92
    |--E. ubuhle Kilburn 1992K92
    |--E. unilineata (Smith 1876) [=Cythara unilineata, Mangilia (Cithara) unilineata; incl. Cithara raffini Hervier 1898]K92
    |--E. vexillum (Reeve 1846)P66 [=Mangelia vexillumP66, Cithara vexillumH22]
    |--E. villaumeae Kilburn & Dekker 2008KD08
    |--E. vitiensis (Smith 1884) [=Cythara vitiensis]K92
    `--E. vittata (Hinds 1843)K92 (see below for synonymy)

Nomen nudum: Cithara haliaeti Jeffreys 1864J64

Eucithara coronata (Hinds 1843)^K92 [=Mangelia coronata^K92; incl. E. balteata Brazier 1876^C47, Mangilia capillacea Reeve 1846^K92, Cythara capillacea^H22, Eucithara capillacea^K92, Mangelia celebensis Hinds 1843^K92, E. celebensis^P66, Mangilia (Cythara) chionea Melvill & Standen 1899^K92, Mangilia cithara Gould 1849^K92, Eucithara cithara^P66, Cithara eupoecila Hervier 1897^K92, Mangelia hornbeckii Reeve 1846^K92, Cythara optabilis Sowerby 1907^K92, Mangelia pallida Reeve 1846^K92, Eucithara pallida^P66, E. pessulata Brazier 1876^C47, Mangilia (Cithara) zonata var. plurilineata Bouge & Dautzenberg 1914^K92, Mangilia (Cythara) psalterium Melvill & Standen 1896^K92, Cithara semizonata Hervier 1897^K92, Eucithara semizonata^P66, Cithara subgibbosa Hervier 1897^K92, Mangelia (Cithara) subgibbosa^P66, Eucithara subgibbosa^P66, Cithara subgracilis Hervier 1898^K92, Cythara waterhousei Smith 1884^K92, Eucithara waterhousei^P66, Mangelia zonata Reeve 1846^K92, Eucithara zonata^P66, Mangilia (Cithara) zonata^K92]

Eucithara fusiformis (Reeve 1846)^K92 [=Mangelia fusiformis^K92, Cithara fusiformis^K92, Mangilia fusiformis^K92; incl. Cythara hypercalles Melvill 1898^K92, Mangelia stromboides Reeve 1846^K92, Cithara stromboides^H22, *Eucithara stromboides^K92, Ci. triticea^C64]

Eunicthara lyra (Reeve 1846)^P66 [=Mangelia lyra^P66, Cithara lyra^H22; incl. C. citharella Smith 1876^H22, Eucithara cylindrica lyrica Smith 1884^C47]

Eucithara novaehollandiae (Reeve 1846)^K92 [=Mangelia novaehollandiae^K92, Cithara novaehollandiae^H22; incl. Mangelia anna Jousseaume 1883^K92, Eucithara annae (l. c.)^K92, Mangelia crassilabrum Reeve 1846^K92, E. crassilabrum^K92, Pleurotoma (Cithara) guestieri Souverbie in Souverbie & Montrouzier 1872^K92, E. guestieri^K92, Mangilia (C.) guesteiri^K92, Mangilia reevei Tryon 1884^K92, Cithara reevei^K92]

Eucithara obesa (Reeve 1846)^K92 [=Mangelia obesa^K92, Glyphostoma obesa^H22; incl. Mangilia reticulata Reeve 1846 non Risso 1826^K92, Eucithara reticulata^K92, Mangilia (Cithara) reticulata^K92, Mangelia vittata Reeve 1846 non Hinds 1843^K92]

Eucithara vittata (Hinds 1843)^K92 [=Mangelia vittata^K92, Mangilia (Cythara) vittata^H22; incl. Mangelia abyssicola Reeve 1846^K92, Cythara abyssicola^H22, Eucithara abyssicola^K92, E. exquisita Smith 1882^C47, Pleurotoma (Glyphostoma) rubrocincta Smith 1882^K92]

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[BK11] Bouchet, P., Y. I. Kantor, A. Sysoev & N. Puillandre. 2011. A new operational classification of the Conoidea (Gastropoda). Journal of Molluscan Studies 77: 273–308.

[C64] Carpenter, P. P. 1864. Supplementary report on the present state of our knowledge with regard to the Mollusca of the west coast of North America. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 33: 517–686.

[C47] Cotton, B. C. 1947. Australian Recent and Tertiary Turridae. Field Naturalists’ Section of the Royal Society of South Australia Conchology Club, Publication 4: 1–34.

[H22] Hedley, C. 1922. A revision of the Australian Turridae. Records of the Australian Museum 13 (6): 213–359, pls 42–56.

[J64] Jeffreys, J. G. 1864. Report of the committee appointed for exploring the coasts of Shetland by means of the dredge. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 33: 70–81.

[K65] Kay, E. A. 1965. Marine molluscs in the Cuming collection, British Museum (Natural History) described by William Harper Pease. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Zoology Supplement 1: 1–96, 14 pls.

[K92] Kilburn, R. N. 1992. Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 6. Subfamily Mangeliinae, section 1. Annals of the Natal Museum 33 (2): 461–575.

[KD08] Kilburn, R. N., & H. Dekker. 2008. New species of turrid conoideans (Gastropoda: Conoidea) from the Red Sea and Arabia. Basteria 72 (1–3): 1–19.

[P71] Panetta, P. 1971. Molluschi del Golfo di Taranto raccolti durante le crociere dell’Albatros. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria” 78: 149–180.

[P66] Powell, A. W. B. 1966. The molluscan families Speightiidae and Turridae: an evaluation of the valid taxa, both Recent and fossil, with lists of characteristic species. Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum 5: 1–184, pls 1–23.