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).

Phylogeny: The Blood-strained Dove Shell, Columbella haemastoma (G.B. Sowerby l, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Columbellidae Family of Dove Shells. The genus Columbella is one of seventy-seven genera in this family, and there are eighteen species in this genus. This species is also known as the Orange-lipped Dove Shell.

Description: The Blood-strained Dove Shell 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 Dove Shells reach a maximum length of 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) and 1.3 cm (0.5 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Blood-stained Dove Shells are found under rocks and on mud between rocks in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 15 m (50 feet). They are a tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Guatemala. They are found only in the extreme southern end of the Gulf of California.

Ecology and Behavior:  Sources differ as to whether Blood-stained Dove Shells are omnivorous grazers or predatory carnivores.  They are preyed upon by crabs, fish, predatory mollusks and shorebirds. These shells are gonochoric and reproduce sexually with internal fertilization. There is no mention in the available literature of them engaging in any types of parasitic, commensal, or symbiotic relationships. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated however they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be consider to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: None