Tulip Shell, Fasciolaria tulipa

Tulip Shell, Fasciolaria tulipa. Shell collected offshore  at Bimini Island, Bahamas. April 1998. Size: 9.2 cm (3.6 inches) x 4.5 cm (1.7 inches). Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins Utah.

Phylogeny: The Tulip Shell, Fasciolaria tulipa (Linnaeus, 1758), is a member of the Fasciolariidae Family of Conch Shells, Horse, Spindle, and Tulip Shells. The genus Fasciolaria is one of sixty-eight genera in this family, and there are twenty-one species in this genus. They are  also known as the True Tulip Shell.

Description: Tulip Shells are spindle shaped and consist of nine rounded whorls. They have a smooth surface, except for very fine growth lines. The aperture is large and elongate, with folds on the column. The siphon canal is widely open and moderately long. The outer lip of the aperture is thin, with fine denticles on inner edge. Their operculum is  thick and heavy. Tulip Shells vary in color from  cream to grayish to  light brown to reddish orange, all with irregular blotches of darker brown, white, or cream. Brown spiral lines run the length of the shell. The interior is cream to orange colored. The living animal is red or black, with white spots. Tulip Shells reach a maximum of 25 cm (10 inches) in length.

Habitat and Distribution: Tulips are found in protected waters, on sand flats and in seagrass beds within the intertidal zone and to depths of 73 m (240 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Western Atlantic species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including both the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Ecology and Behavior: Tulips are predators that feed primarily on other mollusks, including other Tulips. In turn they are preyed upon by crabs, fish, gastropods, and sea stars. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually,  with internal fertilization. The eggs are laid in protective capsules. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated. However, they are common and widely distributed and should be consider to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Murex tulipa and Neptunea laevigata