Sad Miter, Strigatella tristis

Sad Miter, Strigatella tristis.  Size: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) x 1.1 cm (0.4 inches).

The Sad Miter, Strigatella tristis (Broderip, 1836), is a member of the Mitridae Family of Miter Shells. The shells are an elongated football-shape with five or six slightly convex whorls with the body whorl being large. The aperture covers about one-half the shell length and there are weak ridges running the length of the shell. The exterior of is grayish-brown, olive brown, or dark brown in color and most individuals have a white or light brown band along the top of each whorl. The interior is white to gray, sometimes with a brown wash. The Sad Miter Shells reach a maximum length of 3.7 cm (1.5 inches).

Sad Miters are found in moderately shallow water at depths between 10 and 80 feet. They range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

A synonym is Mitra tristis.