Common Nutmeg (Cancellaria reticulata Linnaeus, 1767): Plicated Inner Lip

The Common Nutmeg gastropod has a sturdy and handsome shell which may reach a height of two inches. The surface color is white, pale yellow, or orange, with blotchy, orange-brown bands. The shell has six or seven swollen whorls (volutions, or turns, of the spire). The exterior of the shell is sculpted with vertical (longitudinal) ribs and revolving grooves. The twisted columella boasts two strong folds, or pleats. The upper fold is larger and spirally grooved. The outer lip has strong, even ridges on its inner surface.

The snail is a vegetarian. He lives in sand in warm, shallow seas anywhere from North Carolina to Brazil. His habitat is in coastal shelves at a depth of 20 to 30 feet of water.

Notes

For more information on the Common Nutmeg see:
- R. Tucker Abbott, Seashells of North America: A Guide to Field Identification
- R. Tucker Abbott and Percy A. Morris, Peterson Field Guides: Shells of the Atlantic & Gulf Coasts & the West Indies.
- S. Peter Dance, Eyewitness Handbook of Shells.
- Percy A. Morris, A Field Guide to the Shells of Our Atlantic Coast.
- Bruno Sabelli (author) and Harold S. Feinberg (editor), Simon and Schuster's Guide to Shells.
- Bud Titlow, Seashells: Jewels from the Ocean.
Classification: Family Cancellariidae; Superfamily Cancellarioidea; Suborder Neogastropoda; Order Caenogastropoda.
Scientific nomenclature is subject to change, due to ongoing research. The above classification corresponds to that published by the Conchologists of America, Inc.
Digital formatting is by Jonathan Mitchell.

Common Nutmeg: Well-Rounded Whorls

Notes

Common Nutmeg:
Well-Rounded Whorls