Tiger Turret, Turritella leucostoma

Tiger Turret, Turritella leucostoma. Size: 7.7 cm (3.9 inches) x 1.7 cm (0.7 inches).

The Tiger Turret, Turritella leucostoma (Valenciennes, 1832), is a member of the Turretellidae Family of Turret Shells, that is also known as the White-mouth Screw Shell and in Mexico as caracol torre. The shells have eighteen to twenty fairly flat whorls giving the shell an angular appearance. There are several fine ridges running along the whorls. The exterior of the shell is light gray, tan or white, or tan with brown or reddish-brown streaks running obliquely down the whorls; some individuals appear to have a series of dashes running along segments of the whorls. The aperture is white. The Tiger Turret Shells reach a maximum length of 12.3 cm (4.8 inches).

Tiger Turret Shells are found over and within sand substrate in the intertidal zone to depths up to 165 feet. They range from Cedros Island, Baja California to Panama and are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Turritella cumingii, Turritella dura, and Turritella tigrina.