Gourd Rock Shell, Vasula melones

Gourd Rock Shell, Vasula melones. Shell collected off the beach within the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, August 2019. Size: 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) x 2.9 cm (1.1 inches).

The Gourd Rock, Vasula melones (Duclos, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Muricidae Family of Rocks. They are also known as the Apple Rock Shell and in Mexico as pu’rpura melo’n. The shells are globose, heavy and thick in structure with a large body whorl that consists of five whorls and a small spire, exterior sculpted with fine, spiral, grooves and a large aperture and the outside lip may show dentition (teeth). The exterior of the shell is black in color with white blotches; the interior is white, with yellow blotches; some individuals show lavender to brown on the inside lip. Gourd Rock Shells reach a maximum of 6.0 cm (2.4 inches) in length and 4.6 cm (1.8 inches) in height.

Gourd Rock Shells are found attached to rocks in the intertidal zone. They are documented to range from the Pacific Coast of Central Mexico to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. They are not documented from Baja, however, the shell photographed below was collected dead in tide pools in greater Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur area.

Synonyms include Purpura crassa, Purpura melones, and Thais melones.