Glorious Topsnail

Calliostoma gloriosum

Calliostoma gloriosum is a small sea snail with a shell height of up to 24 mm. The shell features six gently rounded whorls adorned with fine, thread-like ribs, with granulated ribs near the suture. The body whorl is roundly carinated, while the base of the shell is flattened and exhibits about twenty-five revolving striae. Its aperture is rhomboidal, pearly, and smooth, and the shell is characterized by a light salmon color, accented with patches of light yellow and chestnut-brown near the suture and carina. This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, typically inhabiting benthic environments. The glorious topsnail is known to be a herbivorous creature, grazing on algae. Its reproductive strategy involves being gonochoric and engaging in broadcast spawning, where embryos develop into planktonic trochophore larvae before maturing into juvenile veligers. Encounters with this species during dives may reveal them resting on rocky substrates, where their distinctive shell patterns can be appreciated. Conservation status for this species is not evaluated, and it is not currently listed as threatened or endangered.