Translucent Screw Shell, Vermicularia pellucida eburnea

Translucent Screw Shell, Vermicularia pellucida eburnea. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, May 2011. Size: 4.0 cm (1.6 inches) x 2.0 cm (0.8 inches).

The Translucent Screw, Vermicularia pellucida eburnea (Reeve, 1482), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Turretellidae Family of Turrets. The shell is also known as the Eburnea Screw Shell and in Mexico as caracol tornillo. They are named for their thin walls that are translucent. As juveniles that look very much like other Turret Shells, however, as they mature the whorls separate and the shell will grow in random directions. These shells can become intertwined with other Translucent Screw Shells growing nearby, forming an inseparable cluster of individuals. The exterior of the shell is white to yellowish tan in color. The Translucent Screw Shell reach a maximum of 6.0 cm (2.4 inches) in length and 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in height..

The Translucent Screws are found anchored in coarse substrate such as gravel and rubble in the intertidal zone to depths up to at least 30 m (100 feet). They range from Southern California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Vermetus eburnea, Vermetus fewkesi, and Vermicularia fewkesi.