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  • José H. Leal

Shell of the Week: The Carmine Marginella

Eratoidea hematita (Kiener, 1834) has a striking glossy, carmine-red, or pink color that is very bright in the living animal. After the snail dies, the remarkably strong color hues slowly fade away. The outer lip in this species bears about 15 denticles, and the columella (on the other side) has about four strong folds. The species is found in South Florida, the Florida Keys, and the Caribbean. (A large reproduction of this illustration is displayed in the In Focus exhibition at the National Shell Museum.)


The Carmine Marginella, Eratoidea hematita, from Cedar Key, Florida. Photos by James F. Kelly.
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