Banded Top, Tegula ligulata

Banded Top, Tegula ligulata. Size: 1.6 cm (0.6 inches) x 1.2 cm (0.5 inches).

The Banded Top, Tegula ligulata (Menke, 1850), is a member of the Tegulidae Family of Top Shells. They are fairly low in elevation with straight-sided whorls that are often knobbed. They have been divided into geographic into subspecies that differ in the strength of spiral striations and color patterns. The exterior of their shells is brown with white markings, with a white umbilical area. The Banded Top Shell is relatively small reaching a maximum of 1.6 cm (0.6 inches) in height.

The Banded Tops reside on hard substrate in the intertidal zone to depths up to 100 m (330 feet). Their range is limited to western Mexico and they are found in the Sea of Cortez from Santa Rosalia to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, however, they have not been documented from the West Coast of Baja.

A synonym is Trochus ligulatus.