Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis

Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, February 2022. Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inches) x 1.8 cm (0.7 inches). Collections, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, February 2022. Size: 2.6 cm (1.0 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.7 inches) x 1.7 cm (0.7 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, March 2025. Size: 2.6 cm (1.0 inches) x 1.7 cm (0.7 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, February 2022. Size: 2.7 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.8 cm (0.7 inches). Collections, photographs and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, March 2025. Size: 2.8 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.6 cm (0.6 inches). Collection, photographs and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato.

Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, March 2025. Size: 3.2 cm (1.25 inches) x 2.2 cm (0.9 inches). Collection, photographs and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta.

Phylogeny: The Stromboid Dove Shell, Columbella strombiformis (Lamark, 1822), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Columbellidae Family of Dove Shells. The genus Columbella is one of seventy-seven genera in this family, and there are eighteen species in this genus. They are also known as the Orange-mouthed Dove Shell. The name strombiformis refers to this shell’s resemblance to conch shells of the  Strombidae Family.

Description: Stromboid Dove Shells have a swollen body whorl with a ridge at the upper part that forms a spout at the aperture. They have a moderately high, blunt, spire. They are orange to dark reddish brown color. The spire has white spots and the body whorl has white zigzags, spots, or triangular blotches. They are covered with a shaggy olive-colored periostracum. The aperture is narrow, toothed, and white or tinted with orange. The Stromboid Dove is the largest of the west American Columbellas. They reach a maximum of 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in length and 2.0 cm (0.8 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Stromboid Doves are found on sand, or under rocks in sand, in the intertidal zone, and to depths up to 6 m (20 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from north of Punta Conejo, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior: Stromboid Doves are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Other species in the Columbellidae Family may be carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. They are preyed upon by shorebirds, crabs, fish, and predatory mollusks. These shells are gonochoric and reproduce sexually with internal fertilization. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective the Stromboid Dove has not been formally evaluated. However, they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Buccinum strombiforme, Colombella strombiformis, Columbella bridgesii and Columbella bucainides.