Terebra glossema Schwengel, 1942 is the rarest of the four local shallow-water species of the auger family Terebridae. It resembles the Eastern Auger, Terebra dislocata, but differs from that by fainter spiral lines crossing the axial (“vertical”) ribs, whorls with more convex profile, and less “stepped” whorls. The shell measures a little more than one inch (25 mm), and color patterns range from cream to light-brownish to orange-brown, sometimes with irregular bands.
The Tongue Auger, Terebra glossema, from Sanibel. Photos by José H. Leal.
