| Lettered olive | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Olividae |
| Subfamily: | Olivinae |
| Genus: | Oliva |
| Species: | O. sayana |
| Binomial name | |
| Oliva sayana Ravenel, 1834 | |
| Synonyms [1] [2] | |
| |
The lettered olive, Oliva sayana, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Olividae, the olive shells, olive snails, or olives. [3] [4]
As of April 2010 [update] , the lettered olive contains the following accepted subspecies: [5]
The species' range is from North Carolina to Florida, the Gulf states of North America, including Louisiana and Texas; and further south to the east coast of Mexico, including Campeche State, Yucatán State and Quintana Roo. [2] [6] It may also occur in Brazil.[ citation needed ]
The lettered olive typically lives in near-shore waters, on shallow sand flats near inlets. The empty shell is occasionally, or sometimes commonly, washed up onto ocean beaches.[ citation needed ]
The shell of this species can be about 6 cm (2+1⁄4 in) long (maximum reported size reaches 9.1 cm [2] ). It is a smooth, shiny, cylindrical-shaped shell with a short spire. The aperture is narrow and extending almost the length of shell, continuing around the bottom and ending in a notch on the other side. The suture is V-cut and deep. The lower part of the whorl is just above where the suture extends outward and then at a sharp shoulder drops into the suture.
The shell coloration can vary from cream to a greyish exterior with reddish-brown zigzag markings. The common name of this species is derived from the darker surface markings that sometimes resemble letters.
Like all olives, the lettered olive is a carnivore: it captures bivalves and small crustaceans with its foot and takes them below the sand surface to digest. [7]
Its presence is sometimes detected at very low tides by the trails it leaves when it crawls below the surface on semi-exposed sand flats. [7]
Females lay floating, round egg capsules that are often found in beach drift. Young are free swimming. [7]
Colonists and early Native Americans made jewelry from these shells. [7]
The lettered olive is the state shell of South Carolina. [7]
Olive snails, also known as olive shells and olives, scientific name Olividae, are a taxonomic family of medium to large predatory sea snails with smooth, shiny, elongated oval-shaped shells.
Oliva is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Olivinae of thefamily Olividae, the olive snails or olive shells. Many former species of Oliva have been reclassified under genus Americoliva.
Cryoturris citronella is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.
Mitromorpha biplicata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitromorphidae.
Mitromorpha torticula is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitromorphidae.
Platycythara elata, common name the elongate mangelia, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.
Margarites bairdii, common name Baird's margarite, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Margaritidae.
Cyclostrema pompholyx is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Liotiidae.
Dibaphimitra florida is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitridae, the miters or miter snails.
Dermomurex pacei is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Pygmaepterys richardbinghami is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Vokesimurex bellegladeensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Oliva bifasciata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Oliva circinata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Oliva reticularis, common name the netted olive, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Oliva scripta, common name the Caribbean olive, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.
Olivella floralia, common name the common rice (dwarf) olive, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olivellidae, the dwarf olives.
Conus burryae, common name Mrs Burry's cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Turbonilla hemphilli is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Americoliva is a genus of sea snails in the family Olividae, the olives. It is sometimes considered a subgenus of Oliva. It is a sympatric genus of Vullietoliva.