Scaled Jewel Box, Charma squamuligera

Scaled Jewel Box, Charma squamuligera. Size: 1.6 cm (0.6 inches) x 1.9 cm (0.7 inches).

The Scaled Jewel Box, Chama echinate (Broderip, 1835), is a member of the Chamidae Family of Jewel Box Shells, that is known in Mexico as almeja joyero. They are chunky and irregular in shape with the exterior surface being covered with short, irregular spines. The shell have a brown exterior and a bright purple, with pink or coral colored hinge teeth interiorly. The Scaled Jewel Box Shells reach a maximum length of 7.4 cm (2.9 inches).

These Scaled Jewel Boxes are attached to rocks and coral in the intertidal zone to depths up to 295 feet. They range from Southern California to Peru, including the Cocos, Galapagos, and Revillagigedo Islands. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.

Synonyms include Chama garthi and Chama squamuligera.