Southwest Florida Shells

by José H. Leal

Family Cerithiidae

Cerithium litteratum

(Born, 1778)

Stocky Cerith

Shell size to 34 mm; the shell sculptured with numerous spiral threads a spiral row of about 10 small tubercles below suture. Color white with dark-brown spots arranged in spiral lines. A shallow species, in sand and sea grass beds. This species is not common in our area. The specimen in the main image is from Egmont Key (Hillsborough County). The juvenile specimen (second image) was collected on Sanibel, and there are a few other records of the species from the local islands.