WoRMS taxon details
Dentalium elephantinum Linnaeus, 1758
211855 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:211855)
accepted
Species
Dentalium arcuatum Gmelin, 1791 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Dentalium recurvum Deshayes, 1826 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Dentalium viridis G. Perry, 1811 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
marine, fresh, terrestrial
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
[request]
[request]
Distribution Philippines, Indonesia (Ambon), northern part of Australia, northern Indian Ocean. Records from the Red Sea are very...
Distribution Philippines, Indonesia (Ambon), northern part of Australia, northern Indian Ocean. Records from the Red Sea are very doubtful and need confirmation. [details]
MolluscaBase eds. (2026). MolluscaBase. Dentalium elephantinum Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=211855 on 2026-01-13
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Nomenclature
original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
original description (of Dentalium viridis G. Perry, 1811) Perry, G. (1811). Conchology, or the natural history of shells: containing a new arrangement of the genera and species, illustrated by coloured engravings executed from the natural specimens, and including the latest discoveries. W. Miller, London, 4 pp. + 61 pls., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41764832
page(s): pl. 52 fig. 3 [details]
original description (of Dentalium arcuatum Gmelin, 1791) Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae, ed. 13. Tome 1(6). Vermes. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5
page(s): 3738 [details]
basis of record Jong, A.F. de & Strack, H.L. (2025). Results of the Rumphius Biohistorical Expedition to Ambon (1990). Part 20. The shallow water Scaphopoda (Mollusca), including the description of three new species. <em>Vita Malacologica.</em> 24: 123-150.
page(s): 126, pl. 1 fig. 1, pl. 2 figs 1-5 [details] Available for editors [request]
[request]original description (of Dentalium viridis G. Perry, 1811) Perry, G. (1811). Conchology, or the natural history of shells: containing a new arrangement of the genera and species, illustrated by coloured engravings executed from the natural specimens, and including the latest discoveries. W. Miller, London, 4 pp. + 61 pls., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41764832
page(s): pl. 52 fig. 3 [details]
original description (of Dentalium arcuatum Gmelin, 1791) Gmelin, J. F. (1791). Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae, ed. 13. Tome 1(6). Vermes. G. E. Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig]. pp. 3021-3910. , available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/83098#5
page(s): 3738 [details]
basis of record Jong, A.F. de & Strack, H.L. (2025). Results of the Rumphius Biohistorical Expedition to Ambon (1990). Part 20. The shallow water Scaphopoda (Mollusca), including the description of three new species. <em>Vita Malacologica.</em> 24: 123-150.
page(s): 126, pl. 1 fig. 1, pl. 2 figs 1-5 [details] Available for editors
[request]Other
additional source
Scarabino, V. (1995). Scaphopoda of the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, with description of 3 new genera and 42 new species. <em>in: Bouchet, P. (Ed.) Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM 14. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Série A, Zoologie.</em> 167: 189-379., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58833279 [details]
additional source Rosenberg, G. 1992. <i>Encyclopedia of Seashells</i>. Dorset: New York. 224 pp.
page(s): 174 [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
subsequent type designation Jong, A.F. de & Strack, H.L. (2025). Results of the Rumphius Biohistorical Expedition to Ambon (1990). Part 20. The shallow water Scaphopoda (Mollusca), including the description of three new species. <em>Vita Malacologica.</em> 24: 123-150.
page(s): 129, pl. 2 figs 3-5; note: lectotype designation [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Rosenberg, G. 1992. <i>Encyclopedia of Seashells</i>. Dorset: New York. 224 pp.
page(s): 174 [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]subsequent type designation Jong, A.F. de & Strack, H.L. (2025). Results of the Rumphius Biohistorical Expedition to Ambon (1990). Part 20. The shallow water Scaphopoda (Mollusca), including the description of three new species. <em>Vita Malacologica.</em> 24: 123-150.
page(s): 129, pl. 2 figs 3-5; note: lectotype designation [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Distribution Philippines, Indonesia (Ambon), northern part of Australia, northern Indian Ocean. Records from the Red Sea are very doubtful and need confirmation. [details]Unreviewed
Habitat shelf [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| English | elephant's tuskshellelephant's tusk | [details] |
| German | Elefantenzahnschnecke | [details] |
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (161 publications)
To Malacopics (Dentalium elephantinum Linnaeus, 1758 Taiwan, Penghu, Taiwan Strait, collected 1974...
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 018353.GP)
To Malacopics (Dentalium elephantinum Linnaeus, 1758 Taiwan, Penghu, Taiwan Strait, collected 1974...
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection
To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 018353.GP)
From editor or global species database
Unreviewed
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
