168 Marine Shells of the Western Coast of Florida 



The shells of this group are strong and thick, fusiform with 

 conic spire, and straight anterior canal; the aperture is generally 

 long-oval, the outer lip simple, not thickened and the columella 

 plicate. The operculum is corneous, oval, acute at the apical nucleus. 



Genus FASCIOLARIA Lamarck, 1801 

 Fasciolaria papillosa^oe Sowerby(F. gigantea Kiener) PI. 35, fig. 236 



Alt., to 600 mm. Color warm, deep salmon-pink, often lighter 

 in shade; occasional albino specimens in which the operculum is a 

 light brown; interior smoky or bright pink; thick, deciduous 

 epidermis; about 10 shouldered whorls; apex bluntly rounded, spire 

 elongate, body whorl large; sculpture of revolving cords separated 

 by grooves; strong growth lines; shoulders nodulous or not; aper- 

 ture wide, oval, contracted at base into a slightly oblique, relatively 

 short and narrow open canal; outer lip lirate within; columella in- 

 curved with three oblique plications above mouth of canal; animal 

 brilliant red. In some localities it is known as the "pepper conch". 



From shallow water to five fathoms. 



Egg capsule of Fasciolaria papillosa Sowerby PI. 52, figs. 352a, b, c 



Fasciolaria 'papillosa deposits vase-shaped capsules, about 40 

 mm. in height, of rather rough texture, encircled by three broken 

 ridges at equal intervals between base and top. The free margin at 

 the top is fluted and flaring. In the center of the top is a small round 

 aperture closed by a thin disc which disappears to permit the 

 escape of the mature embryos. The individual capsules are distrib- 

 uted along one side of a strong ribbon, IS mm. wide, so twisted upon 

 itself that the appearance of the nidus is that of a huge rosette. 

 These rosettes are sometimes unattached but more frequently fas- 

 tened to old shells — often clam shells. One nidus may contain from 

 50 to 200 capsules with embryos in various stages of development. 



The embryonic heart of Fasciolaria papillosa beats from 115 to 

 125 times per minute; not regularly, but with 22-25-10-21-37-20-12 

 strong contractions, each group separated by pauses of three to 

 seven seconds, as observed in many embryos during 15 minute per- 

 iods. 



300 Lat., fasciola, a band; giganteus, gigantic; papilla, nipple. 



