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TURRITELLIDAE
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but usually has spiral cords only on the base and one just above the suture, and has about i8 to lo axial, rounded ribs per whorl. Some specimens show fine, spiral, incised lines. Common from 16 to 60 fathoms.

Tachyrhynchus lacteolum Carpenter
Milky Turret-shell

Alaska to Lower California.

12 inch in length, similar to erosum, but 13 as wide as long, and the cords between sutures are finely beaded. The beads are arranged more or less in axial rows. The last third of the body whorl bears weak, non-beaded spiral cords. This species differs from reticulatum in its smaller size, less slender shape, less convex whorls, and much finer sculpturing.


GenusTurritellaLamarck 1799

Turritella acropora Dall
Boring Turret-shell
Plate 21j

North Carolina to Florida, Texas and the West Indies.

1 inch in length, resembling exoleta, but with convex whorls, and with numerous, fine, spiral threads a few of which, at the periphery, are slightly larger than the others. There is a very weak series of riblets just below the suture. Color yellowish to brownish orange. Common just offshore.

T. variegata Linné, the Variegated Turret-shell (pl. 21i) (West Indies), is similar, but up to 4 inches in length, with flat-sided whorls, and is mottled with mauve, white and dark-brown. Common.

Turritella exoleta Linné
Eastern Turret-shell
Plate 21h

South half of Florida and the West Indies.

2 inches in length, long, slender and with a sharp apex. Each whorl with a large, coarse cord above and below, with the part between the cords concave and occasionally crossed by microscopic, arched, brown, scale-like lamellae. Base of shell concave. Color glossy-white to cream with sparse, axial flammules of light yellow-brown. Moderately common from 1 to 100 fathoms. This species is placed in the subgenus Torcula Gray 1847.

Turritella cooperi Carpenter
Cooper’s Turret-shell
Plate 20g

Monterey, California, to Lower California.

1 to 2 inches in length, 17 to 20 slightly convex whorls. Base concave. Columella and outer lip fairly fragile. Whorls with 2 or 3 small, spiral cords