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200 American Seashells
smooth, dark-brown. Outer lip turned back, slightly thickened and with its
inner edge crenulated. Color white to light-cream, with the ridges straw-
yellow. Periostracum thin and light yellowish brown. No operculum in
adults. Uncommon from 96 to 300 fathoms. Very rare in private collections.
Family FICIDAE
Genus Ficus Roding 1798
Ficus communis Roding Common Fig Shell
North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico. The Bahamas.
Plate 9!
3 to 4 inches in length, thin, rather fragile, and with spiral threads which
are sometimes made reticulate by axial threads. Uncommon, except on the
west coast of Florida where it is washed ashore in great numbers. No operculum
present. Formerly known as Pyrula and Ficus papyratia Say, but the
latter name is preceded by two earlier names, communis Roding 1798 and
reticulata Lamarck 1816 (as well as 1822).
Carol's Fig Shell (named after Mrs. Richard W. Foster), Ficus carolae
Clench, is very rare, and is irregularly spotted with reddish brown on the
inside of the shell. It was first discovered by Mr. Leo L. Burry of Sarasota off
Key Largo, Florida, in 100 fathoms.
Order NEOGASTROPODA
Superjamily MURICACEA
Family MURICIDAE
Subfa7mly RAPANINAE
Genus Forreria Jousseaume 1880
Forreria belcheri Hinds Giant Forreria
Morro Bay, California, to Lower California.
Plate 24)
3 to 6 inches in length, solid, smoothish, cream-brown; surface with
10 prominent, pointed, scale-like spines on the shoulder of each whorl. These
are the tops of the varices which flatten out and are welded closely to the
lower part of the whorl. Former siphonal canals prominent to the left of
a narrow, not deep umbilicus. Interior enamel-white. Common in intertidal
areas near oyster bars. Also down to 15 fathoms.
Subgenus Austrotrophon Dall 1902
Forreria cerrosensis cerrosensis Dall Cerros Forreria
Off southern Lower California.
Figure 44a, b