As Epitonium perplexum:
Northland; Paxton Point, Great Exhibition Bay. Hawaiian Islands (type of perplexum); Queensland to Victoria and Western Australia; New South Wales (type of perplicata); Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands.
In eastern Australia the species is found onthe open coast, in shallow gutters on rocky intertidal platforms. Shell moderately large, solid, basally obese, non umbilicate, sculptured with stout longitudinal lamellae, varying between 9 and 13 per whorl; otherwise smooth, except for a weak basal spiral rib. Aperture oval; peristome thickened, except for a thin callus across the parietal wall. Colour, white usually dark-brown at the sutures, and very rarely entirely dark purplish-brown between the varices.
Height 22.5-32.0 mm., width 10.75-13.0 mm.
= Scalaria perplexa Pease, 1867, p. 288. Epitonium, Oliver, 1915, p. 288. Scala perplicata Iredale, 1929, p. 344. Pomiscata, Iredale, 1936, p. 303. P. perplexa, Powell, 1965, p. 161. £. (Gyroscala), Kersiake, 1968, p. 68.

As Epitonium commutatum:
Shell. Opaque and glossy, tall and conical, the apical angle between 22° and 37°. There are about 10 whorls which are very tumid and meet at deep sutures much below the periphery of the upper whorl. The ornament consists of extremely fine growth lines and a series of well-spaced costae: the spiral element comprises some microscopic lines and a single cord-like ridge running round the last whorl below the periphery which is crossed by the costae. The costae are slightly prosocline, narrow, with vertical sides, each joined to the corresponding one on the next adapical whorl so as to produce a series of keels down the spire. Each costa also expands at its adapical end into a triangular plate applied to the suture and to part of the surface of the adapical whorl. The number of costae per whorl varies from 9-11. There is a labial varix and it and a few costae near it curl adapically up the whorl. An occasional costa forms a thicker varix. On the base of the last whorl all the costae converge on the umbilical area where they form a rope-like strand to which the inner lip is applied. The protoconch has been lost from all the shells we have seen.
Aperture. Oval, lying in a prosocline plane, the long axis placed at an angle of 30-40° to that of the spire; surrounded by a peristome thickened by a labial varix. The outer lip arises level with the spiral ridge on the body whorl and curves to the base where it is a little flattened and, at the columellar end, is drawn out into a little spout. The columella is gently curved and its lip everted over the base of the costae. The peristome is incomplete in young shells and the costae on the last whorl at the entrance to the aperture are not obscured: in mature ones they are obscured by the development of a thick layer. Colour. Yellowish brown with a brown band below the suture and irregular, opisthocline brown streaks on the abapical half of each whorl which, in some shells, link to form a second band. Size, Up to 20x10 mm. Last whorl = 45-50% of total shell height; aperture = 30% of total height.

30mm. Thin, high spired with pointed protoconch of about 3 smooth, glossy whorls. Spire whorls with strong, evenly rounded and occasionally thickened ribs (8 to 10 on last whorl) connected at sutures and lined up obliquely. A rounded rib encircles base. No umbilicus. Smooth and glossy between dull ribs. Brown to violet-brown, sometimes with darker brown band below sutures and at base and occasional brown spots; ribs white. Habitat: offshore and beached. Distribution: Gulf of Oman, Masirah Island, Yemen (Gulf of Aden)

Truly a worldwide species, G. lamellosa sports about 20 synonyms and is found in warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as, under various other names, in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. The adult runs to about 30mm; the spire angle is variable but ranges from 30 to 45 degrees. The shell coloration consists of varying bands of white, tan, brown, to almost red. The costae are solid white, blade-like, and usually continuous, but occasionally new costae appear. There is a distinct basal ridge and there may be varices on the final whorl. There is no spiral sculpture. Suture deep. Umbilicus hidden.