Home > Invertebrates > Shells > Triphoridae

Updated 10/16/2025

Family Triphoridae

Triphorids

Small attractive shells with beaded spirals and tall spires and distinctive anterior & posterior siphonal canals.  Many genera coil sinistrally, to the left, rather than dextrally to the right.  Often found with sponges upon which they feed, worn empty shells are common in sand.  Species are difficult to positively identify without a magnifier.

HAWAII - ENDEMIC

Triphora bicolor 

BICOLOR TRIPHORID

 

 Subulophora peasi 

PEASE'S TRIPHORID

 
Triphora laddi 

LADD'S TRIPHORID

 

 Triphora tuberculata

KNOBBY TRIPHORID

 
Viriolopsis fallax

FALSE TRIPHORID  

 

 Euthymella flammulata

FLAME TRIPHORID

Metaxia brunnicephala

BROWN-TIP TRIPHORID

 

 

 

 

 

INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII

Cautor similis

SIMILAR TRIPHORID

 

 Mastonia cingulifera

BELTED TRIPHORID

 
Iniforis aemulans

RIVALING TRIPHORID

 

 Euthymella concors

PEACEFUL TRIPHORID

 
Mastoniaeformis hinuhinu

GLOSSY TRIPHORID

 

 Bouchetriphora pallida

PALE TRIPHORID

 
Mastonia troglodytes

RECLUSIVE TRIPHORID

 

 Opimaphora coralina

CORALLINE TRIPHORID

 

Viriola incisa

GROOVED TRIPHORID

 

Triphora sp. 10

TRIPHORA #10

 

Subulophora subfenestra

SLENDER PURPLE TRIPHORID

 

 Inella sp. 1

SLENDER BROWN TRIPHORID
Inella pagoda

PAGODA TRIPHORID

 

Family Cerithiopsidae

Cerithiopsids

Small attractive, dextrally-coiled shells with beaded spirals, otherwise similar in appearance to Triphorids.  Occasionally found with sponges upon which they feed, worn empty shells occur in sand.  Species are difficult to positively identify without examination of the protoconch.

 

HAWAII

Cerithiopsis sp. 1

CERITHIOPSID