Fasciolaria

The Tulip shell is actually the general name for two types of shells: the banded tulip, and the true tulip.

The True Tulip

(fasciolara tulipa)

Size: 2.5” – 9.5” inches (6.4 – 24.1 cm.)

Range: It is mostly found in areas from the North Carolina coast all the way south and west to the gulf coast of Texas, also in the West Indies. Generally, it resides in 30 feet deep water and dwells in the sand or mud at the bottom.

Diet: Various gastropods and bivalves, especially its cousin, the Banded Tulip.

Color Patterns: The tulip shell is a white/tan with rows of darker brownish blotches of various sizes from the spire to the aperture. Over those are symmetrical rows of thin lines that spiral up the shell ever 1/8 of an inch or so.

The Banded Tulip

(fasciolaria lilium)

Size: 2 ¼ - 4 1/8 inches (5.7-10.5 cm.)

Range: From the Florida coast to the gulf coast of Texas, and down into Mexico. The depth range of the shell is anywhere from 2 to 150 feet. It usually buries in sand or muddy sand.

Diet: Little is known about the Banded Tulip’s diet, but it is assumed that it is similar to that of the True Tulip: small gastropods and bivalves.

Color Patterns: The Banded Tulip has a very similar color structure to the True Tulip. But the main differences are the color splotches appear as more red color (blue in rare areas). Also the stripes that give the Banded Tulip its name are farther apart; closer to half a centimeter.

Banded Tulip Shell

Sources

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashells