Americoliva sayana · Olividae
How to identify a lettered olive
Cylindrical body with a very short spire and a long narrow aperture. The polished cream base carries tan or brown zigzag lines that give the species its 'lettered' name.
- Cylindrical outline with a short conical spire
- Fine tan or brown zigzag 'lettering' on a polished cream base
- Long, narrow aperture running most of the shell's length
- Family
- Olividae
- Class
- Gastropod
- Regions
- East Coast · Gulf Coast
- Habitat
- Sandy Intertidal · Swash Zone · Shallow Subtidal
- Best seasons
- Spring · Summer · Fall
- Collector level
- Beginner
Common along the Carolinas and northern Florida coasts; especially plentiful on quieter Atlantic barrier islands.
Collect with care
- Lettered olives are active predators — check for a live animal in the aperture before collecting.
In your journal
- Compare the direction and density of the 'letters' between specimens from different beaches.
- Record the swash-zone position where each olive appeared.