Bubble Nutmeg Shell, Ventrilia bullata

Bubble Nutmeg Shell, Ventrilia bullata. Shell provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, June 2012. Size: 5.5 cm (2.2 inches) x 4.5 cm (1.8 inches).

Phylogeny: The Bubble Nutmeg, Ventrilia bullata (G.B. Sowerby I, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Cancellariidae Family of Nutmegs. The genus Ventrilia is one of thirty-eight genera in this family, and there are four species in this genus.

Description: Bubble Nutmeg shells have a somewhat inflated shape and consist of three to four whorls. They have a moderately high, well-stepped, spire, and a large aperture with a flared inner lip. The sculpture consists of a series of knobs and fine ridges spiraling along the whorls, crossed by very fine, length-wise, ridges. The exterior of the shell may be white with brown bands, or completely brown.  The interior is smooth and white. Bubble Nutmeg Shells reach a maximum of 8.4 cm (3.3 inches) in length and 6.9 cm (2.7 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Bubble Nutmegs are found on, and within, sand substrate. They live at depths between 30 m (100 feet) and 150 m (500 feet). They are a tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range throughout the Gulf of California, and south to Guatemala. They have not been officially documented as residents of the west coast of the Baja Peninsula, however the shell photographed above was collected on the extreme southwest coast of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior: Species in this family are suctorial feeders, sucking soft tissue, blood, and other fluids out of fish and egg capsules. Bubble Nutmegs are gonochoric and reproduce sexually.  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: Cancellaria bullata, Cancellaria dalli, and Trigonostoma bullatum