Shell of the Week: The Vespucci Dwarf Turrid

Nannodiella vespuciana (d’Orbigny, 1842) is a very small member of the family Clathurellidae that reaches only about 6 mm (0.24 inch). The shell is spindle-shaped, with about 14–16 axial ribs crossed by 5–6 spiral threads. The aperture has a very well-defined posterior canal, forming what is known as a “turrid notch.” Color is cream-white, with part of the whorls and the aperture caramel-brown.

The Vespucci Dwarf Turrid, Nannodiella vespuciana, from Sanibel. Photos by James F. Kelly.