Aristofusus excavatus

Aristofusus excavatus, common name apricot spindle, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails, the tulip snails and their allies.

Description

Aristofusus excavatus has a shell reaching a size of 60 – 86 mm. The surface of this spindle-shaped shell is yellowish, with darker yellowish areas.
The shell is slender and fusiform, with a tawny base color.
It is characterized by prominent spiral lirae with finer interstriae. The shell is also adorned with prominent, widely spaced axial ribs. These ribs are tuberculate-lirate.
The shell comprises 10 prominent whorls. These whorls are distinctly and deeply excavated or channeled just below the suture.

Distribution

This species can be found in southeastern United States and from the Gulf of Mexico to northeastern Brazil. It lives on sandy and mud bottoms at depths from 30 to 160 m.