Uber Milk Moon Shell, Polinices uber

Uber Milk Moon Shell, Polinices uber. Size: 4.1 cm (1.6 inches) x 3.4 cm (1.3 inches). Shell collected off the beach of Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, July 2005. Collection, photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Uber Milk Moon, Polinices uber (Valenciennes, 1832), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Naticiae Family of Moons. The shell has a large and elongated body whorl, a fairly short spire and an aperture that is semi-circular with a wide inner lip at the top. The exterior of the shell has a smooth surface except for growth lines. The and interior of the shell is shiny and white.  The Uber Milk Moon Shells reach a maximum of 5.5 cm (2.2 inches) in length and 4.6 cm (1.8 inches) in height.

Uber Milk Moon Snails are found on and with mud and muddy sand substrate from the intertidal zone to depths up to 300 feet. They range from at least Scammon’s Lagoon, Baja California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. They are also found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Natica ovum, Natica uber, and Natica virginea.