Gould’s Bubble Shell, Bulla gouldiana

Gould’s Bubble Shell, Bulla gouldiana. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2022. Size: 3.1 cm (1.2 inches) x 1.5 cm (0.6 inches). Collection, photograph and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Gould’s Bubble Shell, Bulla gouldiana. Shell collected within Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, May 2019. Size: 4.6 cm (1.8 inches) x 3.1 cm (1.2 inches). Identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Gould’s Bubble, Bulla gouldiana. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off La Jolla, California, August 2016. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Phylogeny: The Gould’s Bubble, Bulla gouldiana (Pilsbry, 1895), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Bullidae Family of True Bubble Shells. The genus Bulla is the only genus in this family, and there are seventeen species in this genus. This species is also known as the California Bubble and the Cloudy Bubble and in Mexico as Caracol Burbuja.

Description: The Gould’s Bubble shell is egg-shaped and very thin and delicate.  It has a  large and globose body whorl. The aperture is long and extends above the body whorl. The aperture lacks teeth or folds. The exterior of the shell is pinkish-gray with dark gray spots and blotches, with a white border on one side. A few can be brown to dark brown in color. The interior is white but the exterior mottling can be seen through the shell. The surface is smooth and lightly polished. The living animal is yellowish brown, with white speckles. Gould’s Bubble is one of the largest species in the Bullidae Family, reaching  a maximum length of 7.4 cm (2.9 inches) in length and 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Gould’s Bubbles are found within mud and muddy sandy substrates in bays and estuaries. They are also found on sand in protected ocean front locations. They reside in the intertidal zone and to depths up to 20 m (65 feet). They are a nocturnal species burying themselves, shallowly, during the daylight hours. They are a temperate to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Ecology and Behavior: Gould’s Bubbles are grazers that feed primarily on algae, diatoms, and detritus. In tur they are preyed upon by crabs, fish, the California Cone Shell, Californiconus californicus, and the Navanax, Navanax inermis. They are simultaneous hermaphrodites and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. The eggs are laid in yellow or orange strings of protective capsules. The eggs are often laid on eelgrass or other vegetation. 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: Bulla esteroensis and Bulla nebulosa.