Dupont’s Dove Shell, Parametaria dupontii

Dupont’s Dove Shell, Parametaria dupontii.  Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, July 2015. Size: 1.6 cm (0.6 inches) x 0.8 cm (0.3 inches).

Phylogeny: Dupont’s Dove Shell, Parametaria dupontii (Keiner, 1846), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Columbellidae Family of Dove Shells. The genus Parametaria is one of seventy-seven genera in this family, and there are four species in this genus. This species is also known as the False Cone.

Description: Dupont’s Dove Shell resembles a cone shell more than it does a dove shell. They differ from Cones in having an operculum and different shaped radula. The shell is very thin with a smooth exterior.  The height and steepness of the spire is variable. They have long apertures that are narrow the entire length. The anterior end of the aperture is usually marked by a series of low grooves. The exterior color is whitish, with various lines, reticulations,  and blotches of orange and yellow and/or brownish. Dupont’s Dove Shells reach a maximum of 2.8 cm (1.1 inches) in length and 1.4 cm (0.6 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Dupont’s Dove Shells are found in rubble and on rocks. They live in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 50 m (130 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters they range from Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California,  to Islas Tres Marias, off the coast of of Nayarit. They have not been documented from the west coast of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior:  Dupont’s Dove Shells are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Other species in Family Columbellidae can be grazers, scavengers, or predatory carnivores. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. The eggs are laid in protective capsules. 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: Conus concinnulus, Conus concinnus, Conus dupontii, Meta cedonulli, and Strombus dubius.