Shell of the Week: The Beautiful Miter

Vexillum pulchellum (Reeve, 1844) is a member of the family Costellariidae that may reach 23 mm (about 0.9 inch). Its shell has a sculpture of strong axial (“vertical”) ribs and an elegant color pattern of an orange or salmon-pink background and a single, narrow spiral band of lighter color, which is in turn crossed by short dark-brown bars. The species is found in Florida and the Caribbean. (A large reproduction of this illustration is displayed in the In Focus exhibition at the National Shell Museum.)

The Beautiful Miter, Vexillum pulchellum, from Islamorada, Florida Keys. Photos by James F. Kelly.