Southwest Florida Shells

by José H. Leal

Family Teinostomatidae

Teinostoma parvicallum

(Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945)

Small-callus Vitrinella

Size to 2 mm in diameter. The shell is smooth except for very faint growth lines, which are more noticeable around the suture, or the groove separating two successive whorls. There is a small callus (thickening) at the center of the umbilicus (the "hole" on the base of the shell). As with many members of the micromollusk family Teinostomatidae, the shell color is translucent-white. This species is among the smallest found on Sanibel and Captiva islands. On the second illustration the shell is compared with a cent coin, at the same scale. Illustration by James F. Kelly