Blood-stained Dove Shell, Columbella haemastoma

Blood-stained Dove Shell, Columbella haemastoma. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, February 2022. Size: 1.9 cm (0.7 inches) x 1.2 cm (0.5 inches). Collection, identification, and photographs courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Blood-stained Dove Shell, Columbella haemastoma. Shell collected of the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, December 2011. Size: 2.2 cm (0.9 inches) x 1.2 cm (0.5 inches).

The Blood-strained Dove, Columbella haemastoma (G.B. Sowerby, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Columbellidae Family of Dove Shells. They are also known as the Orange-lipped Dove. The shell is diamond shaped and has a smooth surface. The top of the body whorl is extra wide, forming a “spout” at the aperture; the aperture has dentition on both sides. The shell’s color is a combination of very dark brown, chestnut, reddish-brown, or orange-brown blotches, interrupted by white blotches or zigzags. The aperture is orange to reddish-orange, giving way to a white interior. Blood-strained Doves reach a maximum length of 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) and 1.3 cm (0.5 inches) in height.

The Blood-stained Doves are found under rocks and on mud between rocks in the intertidal zone to depths up to 15 m (50 feet). They range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands. They are found only in the extreme southern end of the Sea of Cortez.