Description:
The bruised nassa is also known as the common eastern nassa and the mottled dog whelk.  This is a small, yet common snail that grows 1/2 - 3/4 inch.  The shell is short and heavy with 5 whorls, well defined sutures and a sharp apex.  The surface of the shell has strong vertical ridges that are crossed by light horizontal lines that give a beaded appearance.  The shell aperture is notched at both ends.  The outer lip is thick and toothed, while the glossy inner lip is fused to the body whorl and bears ridges.  The inner lip, generally white in color, may also be flecked with brown.  Overall shell color is typically a gray-brown to white, with dark red-brown banding, although color patterns in this species are highly variable and may differ among populations. 

Habitat:
The bruised nassa is a common inhabitant of intertidal and shallow subtidal sand and mud flats.

Similar Species:
The bruised nassa is similar to the variable nassa, N. albus.  However, the variable nassa grows over 1 inch in length and is typically white to yellow-brown in color with dark brown spots or bands. 

Range:
The bruised nassa ranges from Cape Cod south through Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, including the West Indies.  It has also been introduced into Bermuda.   It is especially abundant south of Cape Hatteras, N.C. and relatively uncommon to the north.