Shell of the Week: The Smith's Nutmeg
- José H. Leal
- Dec 20, 2024
- 1 min read
Axelella smithii reaches 17 mm (about 0.7 inches). The shell is relatively thick and the shell sculpture includes about 8–10 raised axial (“vertical”) ribs per whorl. The ribs are separated by wider interspaces, and are crossed by alternating stronger and weaker, raised spiral cords. The color is variable, ranging from whitish-yellow to orangish-brown. The interior of the aperture is usually of lighter color and bears spiral threads. And the protoconch is bulbous, smooth, brown, with about two whorls. The species, a close relative of the Common Nutmeg (Cancellaria reticulata), is found offshore, in moderately deep water, along the Florida Panhandle, and the west and east coasts of Florida.
You need to be on pin-sharp alert the whole time you play Doodle Jump because the game is so concentrating and reflex-heavy.