80 



EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



A somewhat rare shell which is 

 sometimes taken in fish stomachs. 

 PI. 31, Fig. 19 

 Greenland to Massachusetts Bay 



MARGARITES GROENLANDICUS Gmelin (M. undu- 

 lata Sowerby) . Shell small, dark flesh 

 color with regularly placed spiral lines 

 which alternate in size, both large and 

 small; base of paler color and smoother; 

 umbilicus funnel-shaped; aperture oblique, 

 interior pearly, reflecting green and gold 

 colors; operculum multispiral. Length 3.5 

 mm., breadth 6 mm. 



This beautiful little shell, much 

 resembling a tropic form, is abundant in 

 the stomachs of fish. It has been taken 

 living on the beaches. Very fresh examples 

 are rose-red but usually it is brownish 

 red. Depth range 7-50 fathoms. 



PI. 31, Fig. 13 



Labrador to Massachusetts Bay 



MARGARITES HELICINDS Phipps. Shell small, 

 depressed, translucent, light brown; fine 

 spiral lines below; aperture round. Breadth 

 5 mm. 



A deep sea form which some years is 

 abundant upon the beaches, especially on 

 the large leaves of Laminaria. The iri- 

 descent shell, reflecting a bronze lustre, 

 is characteristic. In contour it much re- 

 sembles a land or fresh-water shell. 



Greenland to Massachusetts Bay 



MARGARITES OLIVACEA Brown. (M. argentata 

 Old.) Shell small, umbilicated; four to 

 five convex whorls, covered with minute 

 spiral lines; interior pearly and irides- 

 cent; aperture round; suture well marked; 

 surface dull. Length 6 mm. Depth range 

 7-80 fathoms. 



Abundant in fish stomachs north of 

 Boston. 



PI. 38, Fig. 26 



Labrador to Massachusetts Bay 



Family Cyclostrematidae 



About sixty species, members of 

 this family, live mostly in deep water off 

 the Atlantic coast. The majority are very 

 small and are not well known. The follow- 

 ing have been taken in shallow water. 



GENUS COCHLIOLEPIS Stimpson 1858 



COCHLIOLEPIS PARASITICA Stimpson. Shell 



thin, concave below, umbilicated, convex 

 above; lip thin and acute; three whorls, 

 rapidly enlarging; operculum flexible, pel- 

 lucid and thin. Animal blood-red, tenta- 

 cles long and slender. 



Parasitic on Acoetes lupinus Stimp- 

 son, living under the scales of this large 

 annelid. Diameter 2.5 mm. 



PI. 31, Fig. 17 



Charleston, South Carolina; Florida 



Keys 



COCHLIOLEPIS STRIATA Dall. This little 

 shell has two whorls, the globular nucleus 

 being almost enveloped by the last whorl. 

 The umbilicus is very wide. Average width 

 about 6.5 mm., length 1.5 mm. 



It was taken years ago by Colonel 

 Jewett at Egmont Key near Tampa, Florida. 

 Recently, fresh examples were obtained 

 after a September "blow" on a sandbar near 

 the Palm Beach north inlet. The shell much 

 resembles a miniature Sinum. 



PI. 31, Fig, 14 



Florida 



GENUS VITRINELLA C, B. Adams 1850 



VITRINELLA MULTICARINATA Dall. Shell mi- 

 nute, translucent, polished, keeled; four 

 to five whorled; umbilicus deep, not very 

 wide, its walls vertical. Lip margin sim- 

 ple, sharp. Epidermis thin and yellowish. 

 Maximum diameter 3 mm. 



Smaller than V. gemma Holmes, an 

 allied species, also more keeled and de- 

 pressed. 



Off North Carolina (15 fathoms); 



Florida 



Family Liotiidae 



GENUS LIOTIA Gray 1842 



LIOTIA VARIABILIS Dall. A minute shell of 

 surpassing beauty. The star-like projec- 

 tions upon the periphery, the close set 

 wrinkles upon the surface and the curious 

 projections within the umbilicus are char- 

 acteristic features. Diameter 4 mm. Depth 

 range 22-220 fathoms. 



PI. 32, Fig. 8 



North Carolina to the West Indies 



