Hidden-spire Vitrinella

At 2 mm (0.08 inch) maximum size, Teinostoma lerema Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945 is one of the smallest members of the family Tornidae in Florida. The suture (line where two successive whorls join) in this species is not very visible, not forming a distinct line on the shell surface. The shell surface is smooth, the aperture rounded, and the base shows a callus partially covering the umbilicus. The color is translucent milky-white. The shell in the photos was damaged during growth, with a “nick” evident on the last whorl. It was collected in 2008 by Lois Dunnan, near the Sanibel Fishing Pier. Shell identification by Harry G. Lee, and photos by James F. Kelly.