Variegated Auger Shell | Mexican Shells.org

Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata

Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2025. Size: 3.7 cm (1.5 inches) x 1.1 cm (0.4 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata. Shell collected from the beaches of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, March 2008. Size: 4.4 cm (1.7 inches) x 0.9 cm (0.4 inches). Identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2025. Size: 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) x 1.3 cm (0.5 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2025. Size: 5.2 cm (2.0 inches) x 1.2 cm (0.4 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2025. Size: 5.9 cm (2.3 inches) x 1.4 cm (0.6 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Phylogeny: The Variegated Auger Shell, Neoterebra variegata (Gray, 1834), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Terebridae Family of Auger Shells. The genus Neoterebra is one of nineteen genera in this family, and there are eighty-six species in this genus.

Description: The Variegated Auger Shell is characterized by having more than a dozen flat-sided whorls. These shells are sculpted with spiral grooves and/or axial ribs. The aperture is quadrate, and the inner lip is recurved, with two folds. The exterior of the shell is cream to grayish in color, with brown to dark brown bars or blotches spiraling along the length of the shell. A few individuals are more slender and are purplish-brown. A white band wraps around the body whorl and shows through on the interior. Variegated Auger Shells reach a maximum of 10.0 cm (3.9 inches) in length and 2.0 cm (0.8 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Variegated Auger live in sand or muddy sand substrates and are found in the intertidal zone and at depths up to 110 m (360 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 Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula. They are the most common auger shell in the Sea of Cortez.

Ecology and Behavior: Variegated Augers are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Other species in the Terebridae Family are predators that feed primarily on polychaeta worms. 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 the Variegated Auger 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: Terebra africana, Terebra hupei, Terebra melia and Terebra variegata.