Southwest Florida Shells

by José H. Leal

Family Pisaniidae

Hesperisternia multangulus

(Philippi, 1848)

Ribbed Cantharus

Shell size up to 34 mm; shell with pointed spire, aperture less than half shell length. Sculpture of 8-9 rounded axial ribs crossed by weak spiral threads. Whorls shoulders strongly angled. Columella with single fold. Outer lip denticulated inside. Color variable, usually whitish or grayish, marked with brown, orange-brown, or entirely brown. The external surface of the shell can be almost entirely orange, as shown in the second image. Aperture pink or whitish. The stalked egg cases have a flattened top surface with projections resembling the arms of a star.