Gates’ Goblet Shell, Solenosteira gatesi

Gates’ Goblet Shell, Solenosteira gatesi. Shell courtesy of the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, November 2016. Size: 3.4 cm (1.3 inches) x 2.3 cm (0.9 inches).

Phylogeny: The Gates’ Goblet Shell, Solenosteira gatesi (Berry, 1963), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Pisaniidae Family of False Triton Shells. The genus Solenosteira is one of twenty genera in this family, and there are eight species in this genus. They are known in Mexico  as Caracolillo de Gates.

Description:  Gates’ Goblet Shells are sturdy, have a fusiform or spindle-shaped profile, and consist of five or six whorls. They have a pointed apex, a moderately high spire, a wide shoulder, and a tapering body whorl. Unlike most whelks, the shoulder is marked by pointed knobs. They are sculpted with about ten lengthwise ribs, and numerous, fine spiral ridges. They have a large oval aperture that has a crenulated (notched with small ridges) outer lip. The exterior of the shell can be white, white with brown toward the spire, or all brown. The interior is white to bluish white. Gates’ Goblet Shells reach a maximum of 6.5 cm (2.6 inches) in length and 4.4 cm (1.7 inches).

Habitat and Distribution:  Gates’ Goblet Shells are found in muddy sand at depths between 20 m (65 feet) and 150 m (500 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species and in Mexican waters they range from Gonzaga Bay, Baja California south to Guatemala. They have not been documented from the West Coast of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior: Gates’ Goblet 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 Pisaniidae are predators that feed primarily on other shelled mollusks. They 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:  None