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José H. Leal

Shell of the Week: The Green Star Snail

Up to this day, for the past seven years I have been covering mostly Sanibel and Captiva mollusks and their shells. Today, I am expanding the “Shell of the Week” column to include species found elsewhere in Florida. Let’s start with the Green Star Snail. Lithopoma tuber (Linnaeus, 1758). The species has a thick, heavy shell that may exceed 75 mm (3 inches), and is covered with a simple sculpture of raised knobs and finely etched, intersecting lines. But the eye-catching feature of this shell is its greenish color, which is relatively uncommon in mollusks. The species lives on rocky areas of Southeast Florida, the Keys, and parts of the Caribbean.


The Green Star Snail, Lithopoma tuber, from Coral Cove, Florida. Photos by James F. Kelly.

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