Bocas Species Database

Habitat: Observed on hydroid-covered algae in shallows near shroe.   Natural History Notes: The variable bittium grazes on periphyton colonizing live eelgrass. It is preyed upon by the juvenile blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun.   Characteristics: Shells reach 6.5 mm and are slender and high-spired. Shell color is variable, ranging from grayish white to dark purple-brown. Some shells have brown and white axial bands. The columella is stained with brown, and deep within the aperture, a brown spot adjacent to the varix is visible. The operculum is translucent and tinted with light brown. Axial ribs are crossed by spiral cords, forming four to five rows of rounded beads on each whorl. The early whorls are widest just above the suture. The two final whorls have a convex profile. The soft parts of the animal tend to be colored similarly to the shell. The underside of the foot is mostly white with opaque spots.   Notes: Little information available on this species... Ripe for further investigation!