Burnt Dove Shell, Columbella fuscata

Burnt Dove Shell, Columbella fuscata. Collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, May 2020. Size: 2.2 cm (0.9 inches) x 0.7 cm (0.3 inches).

Phylogeny: The Burnt Dove, Columbella fuscata (G.B. Sowerby I, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Columbellidae Family of Doves. The genus Columbella is one of seventy-seven genera in this family, and there are eighteen species in this genus. They are also known as the Spotted Dove and in Mexico as Columbelida Punteada.

Description: The Burnt Dove shell is diamond-shaped in profile. They have a wide body whorl that tapers to the canal. The shell is topped by a short spire. The shell is smooth and thin, with dentition on both sides of the aperture. The exterior of the shell is dark brown, chestnut or tan, with white spots covering the surface. For most specimens, the spots form larger blotches just below the suture (where the spire meets the body whorl). The interior of the shell is white, with some individuals having a lavender tinge. They are covered with an olive color periostracum. The Burnt Dove Shells reach a maximum of 2.2 cm (0.9 inches) in length and 0.7 cm (0.3 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Burnt Doves are found on sand, or under rocks in sand. They live in the intertidal zone, and at depths up to 6 m (20 feet). They are a tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Guatemala. In the Gulf of California they are found from Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

Ecology and Behavior: Burnt Dove Shells are omnivorous grazers.  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: Columbella luteola, Columbella meleagris, Columbella nodalina, Columbella fuscata var. pallescens,  and Columbella vulpecula.