Other identification tools | SeaLifeBase

Non-fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Architectonicidae Sundial shells (See list of species below)

Select Ocean (marine/brackish) or Continent (freshwater):

Select Country (optional):

Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional)



117 species with fin ray counts including ? spines in dorsal and ? in anal fins (see list below)
No picture found

Adelphotectonica kuroharai
[]
No picture found

Adelphotectonica reevei
[]
No picture found

Architectonica acutissima
[]
No picture found

Architectonica arcana
[]
No picture found

Architectonica asperum
[]
No picture found

Architectonica consobrina
[]
No picture found

Architectonica fuliginosum
[]
No picture found

Architectonica gothica
[]
No picture found

Architectonica grandiosa
[]
No picture found

Architectonica gualtierii
[]
No picture found

Architectonica kuroharai
[]
No picture found

Architectonica laevigata
[]
No picture found

Architectonica maculata
[]


Architectonica maxima
[Giant sundial]


Architectonica modesta
[]
No picture found

Architectonica nobilis
[Common sundial]
No picture found

Architectonica pentacyclota
[]
No picture found

Architectonica perdix
[]
No picture found

Architectonica perpectiva
[]


Architectonica perspectiva
[Clear sundial]
No picture found

Architectonica picta
[Pictorial sundial]
No picture found

Architectonica proestleri
[]
No picture found

Architectonica radialis
[]
No picture found

Architectonica sunderlandi
[]


Architectonica trochlearis
[]
No picture found

Architectonica uruguaya
[]
No picture found

Architectonica wroblewskyi
[]
No picture found

Basisulcata lepida
[]
No picture found

Discotectonica acutissima
[]
No picture found

Discotectonica discus
[Keeled sundial]
No picture found

Granosolarium gemmiferum
[]
No picture found

Gyriscus hayashii
[]
No picture found

Heliacus areola
[]
No picture found

Heliacus asteleformis
[]
No picture found

Heliacus bicanaliculatus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus bisulcatus
[Beaded sundial]
No picture found

Heliacus caelatus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus canariensis
[]
No picture found

Heliacus chiquita
[]
No picture found

Heliacus contextus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus corallinus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus crystallina
[]


Heliacus cylindricus
[Atlantic cylinder sundial]
No picture found

Heliacus delphinuloides
[]
No picture found

Heliacus discoideus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus dorsuosus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus fallaciosus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus fenestratus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus geminus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus hyperionis
[]


Heliacus implexus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus infundibuliformis
[Channeled sundial]
No picture found

Heliacus jeffreysianus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus maorianus
[]


Heliacus mazatlanicus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus mighelsi
[]
No picture found

Heliacus oceanitis
[]
No picture found

Heliacus perrieri
[]
No picture found

Heliacus planispira
[]
No picture found

Heliacus proteus
[]
No picture found

Heliacus riisei
[]
No picture found

Heliacus sterkii
[]
No picture found

Heliacus trochoides
[]
No picture found

Heliacus turritus
[]


Heliacus variegatus
[Variegated sundial shell]
No picture found

Heliacus worsfoldi
[]
No picture found

Mangonuia bollonsi
[]
No picture found

Philippia hybrida
[]
No picture found

Philippia layardi
[]


Philippia lutea
[]
No picture found

Pseudomalaxis actoni
[]
No picture found

Pseudomalaxis solaris
[]
No picture found

Pseudomalaxis zanclaeus
[]
No picture found

Pseudomalaxis zancleus
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia amoena
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia architae
[Noduled sundial]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia bullisi
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia concava
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia delectabilis
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia gemmulata
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia numulus
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia retifera
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia sestertius
[]
No picture found

Pseudotorinia yaroni
[]
No picture found

Psilaxis krebsii
[Smooth sundial]
No picture found

Psilaxis oxytropis
[]
No picture found

Psilaxis radiatus
[Yellow sundial]
No picture found

Solarium abyssorum
[]
No picture found

Solarium admirandum
[]
No picture found

Solarium aethiops
[]
No picture found

Solarium cerdaleum
[]
No picture found

Solarium certesi
[]
No picture found

Solarium delectabile
[]
No picture found

Solarium dilectum
[]
No picture found

Solarium dollfusi
[]
No picture found

Solarium implexum
[]
No picture found

Solarium impressum
[]
No picture found

Solarium nubilum
[]
No picture found

Solarium ordinarium
[]
No picture found

Solarium peracutum
[]
No picture found

Solarium pulchellum
[]
No picture found

Solarium sigsbeei
[]
No picture found

Solarium virgatum
[]
No picture found

Solarium virginae
[]
No picture found

Solatisonax acutecarinata
[]
No picture found

Solatisonax alleryi
[]
No picture found

Solatisonax bannocki
[]
No picture found

Solatisonax borealis
[Boreal sundial]
No picture found

Solatisonax injussa
[]
No picture found

Solatisonax propinqua
[]
No picture found

Spirolaxis argonauta
[]
No picture found

Spirolaxis centrifuga
[Exquisite false-dial]
No picture found

Spirolaxis clenchi
[]
No picture found

Spirolaxis cornuarietis
[]
No picture found

Spirolaxis lamellifer
[Lamellate false-dial]
No picture found

Spirolaxis rotulacatharinea
[]
No picture found

Torinia densegranosa
[]
117 Species of Family Architectonicidae
(Sundial shells)
Sort by: Species Length
Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm)
Adelphotectonica kuroharai Western Central Pacific
Adelphotectonica reevei Western Pacific
Architectonica acutissima Western Central Pacific
Architectonica arcana Western Indian Ocean
Architectonica asperum Western Central Pacific
Architectonica consobrina Western Central Pacific
Architectonica fuliginosum Western Central Pacific
Architectonica gothica Indo-Pacific.
Architectonica grandiosa Western Central Pacific
Architectonica gualtierii Indo-Pacific.
Architectonica kuroharai Northwest Pacific
Architectonica laevigata Indo-Pacific.
Architectonica maculata Western Central Pacific
Architectonica maxima Giant sundial Indo-Pacific 7 SHD
Architectonica modesta Central Pacific 3 SHD
Architectonica nobilis Common sundial Western Atlantic.
Architectonica pentacyclota Northwest Pacific
Architectonica perdix Northwest Pacific
Architectonica perpectiva Western Central Pacific
Architectonica perspectiva Clear sundial Indo-Pacific 7 SHL
Architectonica picta Pictorial sundial Western Central Pacific 4.5 SHD
Architectonica proestleri Western Central Pacific
Architectonica radialis Eastern Central Pacific
Architectonica sunderlandi Western Central Atlantic;
Architectonica trochlearis Pacific Ocean. 7 SHD
Architectonica uruguaya Western Atlantic. 1.7 DL
Architectonica wroblewskyi Western Central Atlantic
Basisulcata lepida Mediterranean Sea.
Discotectonica acutissima Western Pacific 4 SHD
Discotectonica discus Keeled sundial Eastern Pacific, Atlantic 1.5 DL
Granosolarium gemmiferum Southwest Pacific
Gyriscus hayashii Northwest Pacific
Heliacus areola Indo-Pacific.
Heliacus asteleformis Southwest Pacific
Heliacus bicanaliculatus Southeast Pacific
Heliacus bisulcatus Beaded sundial Atlantic Ocean. 1.2 DL
Heliacus caelatus Western Central Pacific
Heliacus canariensis Eastern Central Pacific
Heliacus chiquita Eastern Central Pacific
Heliacus contextus Mediterranean Sea.
Heliacus corallinus Western Central Pacific
Heliacus crystallina Western Central Atlantic
Heliacus cylindricus Atlantic cylinder sundial Atlantic Ocean 1 DL
Heliacus delphinuloides Western Atlantic. 0.75 DL
Heliacus discoideus Eastern Central Pacific
Heliacus dorsuosus Western Central Pacific 1.5 SHD
Heliacus fallaciosus Mediterranean and Eastern
Heliacus fenestratus Western Central Pacific
Heliacus geminus Indo-Pacific.
Heliacus hyperionis Southwest Pacific
Heliacus implexus Pacific Ocean
Heliacus infundibuliformis Channeled sundial Central Pacific and Weste
Heliacus jeffreysianus Mediterranean Sea.
Heliacus maorianus Southwest Pacific
Heliacus mazatlanicus Eastern Pacific
Heliacus mighelsi Eastern Central Pacific
Heliacus oceanitis Western Indian Ocean
Heliacus perrieri Atlantic Ocean. 1.5 DL
Heliacus planispira Eastern Pacific
Heliacus proteus Western Central Pacific
Heliacus riisei Western Atlantic. 0.73 DL
Heliacus sterkii Eastern Central Pacific
Heliacus trochoides Indo-Pacific.
Heliacus turritus Western Central Pacific
Heliacus variegatus Variegated sundial shell Indo-Pacific. Tropical t 2 ShD
Heliacus worsfoldi Western Central Atlantic 0.73 DL
Mangonuia bollonsi Southwest Pacific
Philippia hybrida Mediterranean Sea.
Philippia layardi Eastern Indian Ocean
Philippia lutea Southwest Pacific
Pseudomalaxis actoni Mediterranean Sea.
Pseudomalaxis solaris Northwest Pacific
Pseudomalaxis zanclaeus Mediterranean Sea.
Pseudomalaxis zancleus Atlantic Ocean 1.16 DL
Pseudotorinia amoena Western Central Pacific
Pseudotorinia architae Noduled sundial Atlantic Ocean and the Me 1 DL
Pseudotorinia bullisi Western Atlantic. 1.02 DL
Pseudotorinia concava Western Central Pacific
Pseudotorinia delectabilis Western Central Pacific
Pseudotorinia gemmulata Western Central Pacific
Pseudotorinia numulus Western Central Pacific
Pseudotorinia retifera Western Atlantic. 0.6 DL
Pseudotorinia sestertius Western Central Pacific
Pseudotorinia yaroni Western Indian Ocean
Psilaxis krebsii Smooth sundial Western Atlantic.
Psilaxis oxytropis Pacific Ocean. Tropical 2 SHD
Psilaxis radiatus Yellow sundial Pacific Ocean. 2.5 SHD
Solarium abyssorum Eastern Indian Ocean
Solarium admirandum Eastern Indian Ocean
Solarium aethiops Western Central Pacific
Solarium cerdaleum Western Indian Ocean
Solarium certesi Northeast Atlantic
Solarium delectabile Indian Ocean
Solarium dilectum Western Indian Ocean
Solarium dollfusi Northeast Atlantic
Solarium implexum Eastern Central Pacific
Solarium impressum Eastern Indian Ocean
Solarium nubilum Western Central Atlantic
Solarium ordinarium Southeast Atlantic
Solarium peracutum Western Central Atlantic
Solarium pulchellum Mediterranean Sea.
Solarium sigsbeei Western Central Atlantic 0.55 DL
Solarium virgatum Western Central Pacific
Solarium virginae Northeast Atlantic
Solatisonax acutecarinata Western Central Pacific
Solatisonax alleryi Mediterranean Sea.
Solatisonax bannocki Mediterranean Sea.
Solatisonax borealis Boreal sundial Western Atlantic Ocean. 1.2 DL
Solatisonax injussa Southwest Pacific
Solatisonax propinqua Eastern Central Pacific
Spirolaxis argonauta Indo-Pacific.
Spirolaxis centrifuga Exquisite false-dial Western Atlantic and the 0.43 DL
Spirolaxis clenchi Western Central Pacific a 0.3 DL
Spirolaxis cornuarietis Indo-Pacific.
Spirolaxis lamellifer Lamellate false-dial Atlantic Ocean and the Me 0.3 DL
Spirolaxis rotulacatharinea Western Pacific
Torinia densegranosa Northwest Pacific



Other identification tools in SeaLifeBase


Quick Identification
Identification keys
Identification by morphometrics
Identification by pictures:
          If you already know the Family, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to
Search SeaLifeBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to
Search SeaLifeBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the ecosystem.