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Description:
Lettered olives reach 2 - 2.5 inches in length. The shell is glossy
and nearly cylindrical, with a small, conical spire. Base color of the
shell is typically gray, white, or yellow-tan marked with irregular fine
lines of dark brown to red-brown in 2 spiral bands on the body whorl.
A spiral ridge borders the channeled suture. The aperture is narrow,
but widens out slightly at the base. The siphonal canal is broad.
Inner lip of aperture is ridged, with several slanting lines etched into the
base.
Habitat:
Lettered olives burrow in sand from the shallow subtidal zone to depths of 150 feet.
Similar Species:
The netted olive, which also occurs in the Indian River Lagoon, is
similar in overall appearance to the lettered olive. However, netted
olives are typically smaller, reaching only 1.75 inches, have a
shallower sutural canal, and are more lightly colored than lettered olives.
Range:
Lettered olives range from
North Carolina through Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and south to
Brazil.
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The lettered olive, Oliva sayana, from the Indian River Lagoon. Photo courtesy of K.
Hill, Smithsonian Marine Station.
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View of the narrow aperture of the
lettered olive.
Photo courtesy of K. Hill, Smithsonian Marine
Station.
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Lettered olives are predatory snails that eat bivalves and small
crustaceans. They burrow into sand with only their siphons extending
above the surface. When prey is detected, the snail grasps it by
folding it into the hindmost portion of its foot. Prey are held as the
snail reburies in preparation for eating.
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