Shell of the Week: The Beautiful Truncatella
- José H. Leal
- Oct 18, 2019
- 1 min read
Truncatellas are small marine snails that spend most of their lives away from seawater, living among dead leaves, above the high tide line in mangrove areas. The genus name derives from the truncated shell aspect. One of two species occurring locally in Southwest Florida, the Beautiful Truncatella, Truncatella pulchella Pfeiffer, 1839, grows to 6.5 mm (about 0.25 inch). Its shell is elongate, with up to six rounded whorls, each bearing 17–40 axial (“vertical”) ribs. The color is yellowish to brownish. The shell outer lip sometimes looks “doubled” (arrow on photo).
I once explored the mangroves of Florida and was impressed by the Truncatella pulchella – a tiny snail with a very unique shell shape. While resting in nature, I put on Sprunki Retake – the music combined with the peaceful scenery made the experience more complete. Details like the “truncated” shell and double lip really make this species special.