Olive Turban, Astraea olivacea

Olive Turban, Uvanilla olivacea. Size: 2.7 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.4 cm (0.6 inches).

The Olive Turban, Uvanilla olivacea (W. Wood, 1828), Is a member of the Turbinidae Family of Turban Shells that is also known as the Blood Spotted Star Shell. The shell is cone shaped, rugged and strong and almost as tall as it is wide. It consists of six or seven whorls, with the bottom whorl being more rounded and the external sculpture consisting of fine diagonal lines. The shell is olive or brownish green in color and most shells have a fibrous periostracum, the center of the base is marked with a reddish orange spot with a dark brown or black border and the aperture is pearly white. Olive Turban Shells reach a maximum diameter of 6.5 cm (2.6 inches).

Olive Turbans are found clinging to rocks in the intertidal zone to depths up to 65 feet. They are found in the Sea of Cortez from La Paz to the greater Cabo San Lucas area, Baja California Sur, and range south to El Salvador. They have not been documented from the coastal waters of the West Coast of Baja.

A synonym is Astraea olivacea.