What is "wentletrap"

Scalaria \Sca*la"ri*a\, n. [L., flight of steps.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of marine gastropods of the genus Scalaria, or family Scalarid[ae], having elongated spiral turreted shells, with rounded whorls, usually crossed by ribs or varices. The color is generally white or pale. Called also ladder shell, and wentletrap. See Ptenoglossa, and Wentletrap.

n. Any of numerous species of elegant, usually white, marine shells of the genus (taxlink Epitonium genus noshow=1), especially (taxlink Epitonium scalare species noshow=1), which was formerly highly valued.

Wentletraps are small, often white, very high- spired, predatory or ecto parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Epitoniidae.

The word wentletrap originated in Dutch (wenteltrap), and it means spiral staircase. These snails are sometimes also called "staircase shells", and "ladder shells".

The Epitoniidae family belongs to the superfamily Epitonioidea, which also includes the Janthinidae (the pelagic purple snails) and the family Nystiellidae, all part of the informal group Ptenoglossa. Epitoniidae is a rather large family, with an estimated number of species about 630.