Polpast Olive Shell, Oliva polpasta

Polpast Olive Shell, Oliva polpasta. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, November 2016. Size: 4.8 cm (1.9 inches) x 2.8 cm (1.1 inches).

The Polpast Olive, Oliva polpasta (Duclos, 1833), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Olividae Family of Olives. The shell is sturdy that consist of five whorls, a moderately high and pointed spire. The inside lip of the aperture wraps around the base of the shell and is marked with several grooves. The exterior of the shell is shiny gray, with numerous brown specks, spots and chevrons; the interior is white to cream. Polpast Olive Shells reach a maximum of 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) in length and 2.9 cm (1.1 inches) in height.

Polpast Olives are found on and within sand substrate from the intertidal zone to depths up to 35 m (115 feet). They are found from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur south along the southwest coast of Baja and from Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, Baja California in the Sea of Cortez south to Peru.

Synonyms include Oliva callosa, Oliva kerstichi and Oliva polpasta.