Southwest Florida Shells
by José H. Leal
Family Haminoeidae
Haminoea elegans
(Gray, 1825)
Elegant Glassy Bubble
Shell size locally to 17 mm; shell very thin, almost elongate-ovate. Sculpture of very fine spiral grooves. There is an orifice on the apical region of shell, known as an apical depression. This is a very variable species; compare with H. antillarum, which is usually smaller, more rounded overall, with less well-defined spiral lines, and lacks the apical depression. Color may be translucent dirty-white, greenish, yellowish, or pink. Animal translucent with brown and black mottling and spots. The pink shell varietal in the photos was collected in June 2019 by Bruce Schulz, at Bunche Beach, Fort Myers, Florida, at low tide. Photos by James F. Kelly.