Spirate Turban Shell, Pomaulax spiratus

Spirate Turban Shell, Pomaulax spiratus. Shell collected off the beach of Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, October 2019. Size: 3.2 cm (1.3 inches) x 3.4 cm (1.3 inches).Collection, photography and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Spirate Turban, Pomaulax spiratus (Dall, 1911), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Turbinidae Family of Turbans. They are also known in Mexico as trubante espiral. Their shells are steep-sided and cone shaped that consist of four or five whorls, exterior sculpturing with diagonal radiating ridges, a base with spiral ridges, and they are slightly taller than they are wide. The exterior of the shell is pinkish or reddish brown; the aperture is pearly white. The Spirate Turban Shells reach a maximum of 3.7 cm (1.5 inches) in height and 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in diameter.

The Spirate Turban has a limited distribution in the Baja being found only in the greater Cabo San Lucas area of Baja California Sur. They are also found along the coast of mainland Mexico. Most shells are found as dead specimens in shallow water or washed up on the beach. Very little is known about the biology of this species.

 Synonyms are Astraea spirata and Pachypoma inaequale spiratum.