Port Lincoln Dove Shell

Mitrella lincolnensis

Mitrella lincolnensis - Port Lincoln Dove Shell
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Size: 13 mm

Distribution: All SA coastal and gulf waters

Habitat: Sandy areas amongst algae

Depth: Lower intertidal to shallow subtidal

Mitrella lincolnensis - Port Lincoln Dove Shell
Mitrella lincolnensis - Port Lincoln Dove Shell
Mitrella lincolnensis - Port Lincoln Dove Shell

This small, long-spired snail is fawn to brown in colour, with white spots that are often arranged in bands. It has a long and narrow aperture, and can be found amongst algae or in tidepools. Its pattern is diagnostic, and it can be further distinguished from many other dove snails (family Columbellidae) by the whorls, which are mostly flat, and not rounded.