Phylum Mollusca

Class Gastropoda

 

Family Mitridae

Miters 

Miters have a variety of shapes and sculptures and nearly 500 species are found throughout the world's warmer oceans.  Hawaii has about 85 species, most of which are found in sand in deeper waters.  All miters may be recognized by the narrow aperture and several prominent folds on the central axis, or columella.  Miters are carnivorous, preying upon worms, sipunculids, and mollusks.

 

HAWAII

Subfamily Mitrinae

Mitra (Mitra) mitra

Atlantis Reef, Waikiki, Oahu, 120 feet

 

Atlantis Reef, Waikiki, Oahu, 120 feet
Mitra mitra, Oahu

EPISCOPAL MITER

Fairly common in sand at scuba depths.  Shell is slender and lacks a coronated suture.  Last whorl inflated and smooth.  About 6 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Mitra) stictica

Mitra stictica, Oahu

PUNCTURED MITER

Common in sand at any depth.  Shell coronated and encircled by deep pits.  Last whorl constricted.  About 3 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Mitra) papalis

Papal Miter, Oahu

PAPAL MITER

Common in sand at scuba depths.  Shell coronated and encircled by shallow pits on earlier whorls.  Last whorl inflated.  About 4 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Mitra) incompta

Mitra incompta, Oahu
Uncommon under stones at scuba depths.  About 4 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Nebularia) ferruginea

Kewalo, Oahu, 50 feet

 

Kewalo, Oahu, 50 feet
Mitra ferruginea, Oahu

RUSTY MITER

Fairly common under stones at scuba depths.  About 2 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Nebularia) cucumerina

Mitra cucumerina, Oahu

CUCUMBER MITER

Very common in dead coral at scuba depths.  About 1/2 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Nebularia) turgida

Mitra turgida, Oahu

TURGID MITER

Hawaiian shells are very rare in rubble at scuba depths.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.  

Mitra (Nebularia) aurora

Aurora Miter, Lanai

AURORA MITER

Uncommon under stones at scuba depths.  About 1 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Mitra (Nebularia) coronata

Mitra coronata, Oahu

CORONATED MITER

Fairly common under rocks at scuba depths.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Nebularia) ticaonica

Mitra ticaonica, Oahu

TICAO MITER

Fairly common under rocks in shallow water.  Dark brown including aperture.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Mitra) coffea

Kewalo, Oahu, 50 feet

 

Kewalo, Oahu, 50 feet

 
Mitra coffea, Oahu

COFFEE MITER

Uncommon under stones at any depth.  Dark brown with white flecks and punctured spirals, aperture brown with denticulate outer lip.  About 2 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Nebularia) fulvescens

Brown Miter, Lanai

YELLOW-BROWN MITER

Uncommon under rocks at scuba depths.  Slender, rusty brown with faint spiral band and spiral punctures, aperture white with denticulate outer lip.  About 1.5 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Strigatella) acuminata

Mitra acuminatus, Palau

ACUMINATE MITER

Rare in Hawaii under rocks at scuba depths.  Golden brown with tapering spire and white aperture with very thick outer lip.  About 1 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Mitra (Strigatella) fastigium

Fairly common on reef benches and tidepools.  Stout, dull brown, smooth, with bluish white aperture, outer lip thick.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Strigatella) litterata

Mitra litterata, Oahu

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu

LETTERED MITER

Common on shallow reefs, benches and tidepools.  Feeds upon sipunculids.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the indo-Pacific.

 

Mitra (Strigatella) assimilis

Mitra assimilis, Oahu

RELATED MITER

Common on in sand and algal mats on shallow reefs and tidepools.  Feeds upon small mollusks.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Strigatella) pellisserpentis

Mitra pellisserpentis, Oahu
Common under rocks on shallow reefs and tidepools.  About 1.5 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Mitra (Strigatella) saltata

Mitra saltata, Oahu
Uncommon in shallow water.  About 3/8 inch.  Hawaii & French Polynesia. 

Mitra (Strigatella) typha

Mitra typha, Oahu
Uncommon under rocks at scuba depths.  About 3/8 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Subfamily Cylindromitrinae

Pterygia crenulata

Uncommon in sand at any depth.  About 1.5 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Pterygia pudica

Uncomon in sand at scuba depths.  About 1/2 inch.  Hawaii & the Tropical Pacific.

Subfamily Imbricariinae

Imbricaria conovula

Uncommon in sand at scuba depths.  About 5/8 inch.  Base is purple.

Imbricaria olivaeformis

Abundant in sand at scuba depths.  About 5/8 inch.

Imbricaria punctata

Common in sand at scuba depths.  About 5/8 inch.  Base is white.

Cancilla (Domiporta) carnicolor

Rare in sand in deep water.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Cancilla (Domiporta) granatina

Uncommon in sand at scuba depths.  About 2 inches.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

 

Neocancilla papilio langfordiana   

Uncommon in sand at scuba depths.  About 2 inches.  Endemic to Hawaii.

Scabricola (Swainsonia) newcombii   

Common in sand at scuba depths.  About 1.5 inches.  Endemic to Hawaii.  

Subcancilla foveolata   

Common in sand at 100 feet or more.  About 1 inch.  Endemic to Hawaii.

Family Costellariidae

Vexillum (Costellaria) modestum

Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 80 feet
Common on sandy reefs at scuba depths.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) approximatum

Rare from sand at depths greater than 100 feet.  About 1 inch.  Hawaii and Polynesia.

Vexillum (Pusia) cancellarioides

Common under stones and on rocks in tidepools and shallow water.  About 3/4 inch.  Indo-Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) capricornea

Uncommon at scuba depths.  About 1/4 inch.  Hawaii, Okinawa, Australia.

Vexillum (Pusia) cumingii

Uncommon at scuba depths.  Hawaii & Tropical Pacific.  About 1 inch.

Vexillum (Pusia) lautum

Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
Common under stones in shallow water.  About 1/2 inch.  Hawaii & Tropical Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) lenhilli

Common in rubble at 150 feet or more.  Hawaii & the Philippines.  About 1/4 inch.

Vexillum (Pusia) tusum

Rare dredged from 300 feet or more.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.  About 1/2 inch.

Vexillum (Pusia) moelleri

Rare in deep water.  About 1 inch.  Hawaii & Tropical Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) microzonias

Uncommon under stones at any depth, common in beach drift.  About 1/2 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-West Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) rubrum

Uncommon at scuba depths.  About 1/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) tuberosum

Uncommon at any depth in sand covering hard substrate.  About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

Vexillum (Pusia) unifascialis

Common under stones at scuba depths.  Variable color pattern.  .About 3/4 inch.  Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific.

 

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