Queen Tegula Shell, Tegula regina

Queen Tegula Shell, Tegula regina. Shell collected off the beach of Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, October 2019. Size: 6.0 cm (2.4 inches) in diameter. Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Phylogeny: The Queen Tegula, Tegula regina (Stearns, 1892) is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Tegulidae Family of Top Shells. The genus Tegula is one of eight genera in this family, and there are twenty-five species in this genus. They are also known as the Regal Tegula Shell.

Description: Queen Tegula Shells are conical and wider than they are high with slightly concave whorls. The exterior sides are sculpted with undulating axial ridges. One-half of the base is sculpted with low, curved ridges and the other half has a smooth texture. The operculum is round and sculpted with concentric circles. The exterior of the shell has brownish, grayish or yellowish-black sides. Half of the base is black and white in color and the other half is nacreous white and yellow. An orange spiral surrounds the center of the base. Queen Tegula Shells reach a maximum of 6.4 cm (2.5 inches) in diameter.

Habitat and Distribution: Queen Tegulas are often found attached to vertical rock surfaces, but may be found on shale or sand substrates. They live at depths between 6 m (20 feet) and 24 m (80 feet). They are a subtropical Eastern Pacific species that have a limited range in Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean being found only north of Asuncion Island, Baja California Sur along the central an northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula.  They are more common around islands than along the coastline, especially in the northern part of their range.

Ecology and Behavior:  Queen Tegulas are herbivorous grazers that feed primarily on algae and sea grasses.  They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. The Queen Tegula Shell has not been formally evaluated from a conservation perspective, however they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Uvanilla regina.