Spiny Oyster, Spondylus leucacanthus

Spiny Oyster, Spondylus leucacanthus. Size:  6.6 cm (2.6 inches) x 6.6 cm (2.6 inches).

Spiny Oyster, Spondylus leucacanthus. Size:  9.3 cm (3.7 inches) x 9.9 cm (3.9 inches).

The Spiny Oyster, Spondylus leucacanthus (Broderip, 1833), is a member of the Spondylidae Family of Spiny Oyster Shells, that is also known as a Thorny Oyster and in Mexico as ostra espinosa and ostra espinosa del Pacifico. They have a round outline with a straight hinge and small ears or wings on both sides of the hinge. The exterior of this exquisite shell is decorated with long, beautiful delicate spines that can be up 8 cm (3.1 inches) in length. The exterior has a white base with yellow, coral, orange, or brown spreading toward the hinge; the interior is white. Spiny Oysters reach a maximum length of 15.6 cm (6.1 inches), that does not include the spines.

Spiny Oysters are found attached to rocky reefs at depths between 35 and 300 feet. They range from Cedros Island, Baja California to Ecuador and in the Sea of Cortez from Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.

A synonym is Spondylus ursipes.