| Epidendrium billeeanum | |
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| Two live individuals of Epidendrium billeeanum and a mass of egg capsules, in situ on their food source, a cup coral | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Epitonioidea |
| Family: | Epitoniidae |
| Genus: | Epidendrium |
| Species: | E. billeeanum |
| Binomial name | |
| Epidendrium billeeanum (DuShane & Bratcher, 1965à |
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Epidendrium billeeanum is a species of small predatory or ectoparasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps. [1]
Twila Bratcher was a malacologist who is the second author of the species. Bratcher's sister's name is Billee Dillworth Gerrodette; the species was named after Billee. [2]
Contents |
This species has a wide distribution in the Pacific Ocean, from California and Ecuador, to Taiwan and New Zealand.
This is often known as the yellow or golden wentletrap, because the animal and the shell are a rich yellow in color. The shell size varies between 5 mm and 15 mm.
This wentletrap feeds on Tubastrea cup corals.