Southwest Florida Shells

by José H. Leal

Family Pseudomelatomidae

Crassispira sanibelensis

(Bartsch & Rehder, 1939)

Sanibel Turrid

Shell size to 30 mm; shell turreted, with spire occupying about 2/3 of shell length. Sculpture of about nine ribs crossed by raised spiral cordlets. Anterior canal short. Color dark-brown. For many years this species was misidentified by modern authors as Zonulispira crocata (Reeve, 1845). The shell in the main image was collected on West Gulf Drive Beach, on Sanibel, by Susan J. Hewitt in December 2012.