About Euspira nitida (Donovan, 1803)
The shell of Euspira nitida is small and globular, with a low spire. The maximum recorded shell dimensions are 16 mm in height and 14 mm in width. The shell has a fairly pointed apex, and contains 5 to 6 gently convex whorls separated by a shallow suture. The body whorl is strongly rounded, and makes up almost the entire volume of the shell. The aperture is moderately ovate, with a smooth outer lip. This species does not have a siphonal canal. A callus partially covers the umbilicus. The operculum is horny and made of corneous material. The shell surface is smooth, shiny, and has no surface sculpture. The base shell color is pale brown-yellow, marked with orange to red-brown spots arranged in four to five spiral lines. Washed-up shell specimens of this species often develop a blue-black discoloration. Euspira nitida, commonly called the common necklace shell, is a common species of sea snail that lives along sandy coasts. It inhabits the sublittoral zone and deeper waters, and has been found exceptionally at depths up to 2,000 m. Its range extends along the North East Atlantic, from France to Norway including Iceland, and covers the entire North Sea. It is also common in the Mediterranean Sea. Large numbers of this species are frequently found washed ashore on beaches. Fossil evidence confirms the species has been present in the North Sea since the Pliocene.
