The West Indian False Cerith, Lampanella minima (Gmelin, 1791), is the only representative of the gastropod family Batillariidae in Florida. (The species was, until recently, included in the genus Batillaria.) This species, which may reach a little tad under an inch in length, is extremely abundant in and around the intertidal (“between tide lines”) and supralittoral (“above the high tide line”) zones of mangroves in South and Southwest Florida. Populations of the species may form large aggregates, in the form of “mats”, with thousands of individuals. Its shell is extremely variable in color, including all dark-brown or blackish shells, or shells with bands of lighter color. West Indian False Ceriths feed on decomposing plant materials.
The West Indian False Cerith, Lampanella minima. Photos by José H. Leal.