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).

The Burnt Dove, Columbella fuscata (G.B. Sowerby I, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Columbellidae Family of Doves. They are also known as the Spotted Dove and in Mexico as colubel’lida punteada. The shell is smooth and  thin, that is diamond shaped in profile. They have a wide body whorl that tapers to the canal and is topped by a short spire. The shell is smooth 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.

Burnt Doves are found on sand, or under rocks in sand in the intertidal zone to depths up to 6 m (20 feet). They range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. In the Sea of Cortez they are found from Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

Synonyms include Columbella luteola, Columbella meleagris, Columbella nodalina, and Columbella vulpecula.