The Fly Speck Cerith, Cerithium muscarum Say, 1832, received its moniker thanks to its color pattern of interrupted spiral brown lines, which resemble fly droppings against a whitish background. The inch-long species has a sculpture of eight to 11 axial ("vertical") ribs and spiral lines. Fly Speck Ceriths inhabit seagrass habitats, where it feeds on the film of detritus and microalgae growing on seagrass blades.
The Fly Speck Cerith, Cerithium muscarum, from Sanibel. Photo by José H. Leal.