Zebra Auger Shell, Oxymeris strigata

Zebra Auger Shell, Oxymeris strigata. Shell collected from the beaches of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, March 2008. Size: 10.8 cm (4.3 inches) x 2.4 cm (0.9 inches).  Identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Zebra Auger Shell, Oxymeris strigata. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2025. Size: 11.9 cm (4.7 inches) x 2.7 cm (1.1 inches). Collection, photographs and identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Phylogeny: The Zebra Auger Shell, Oxymeris strigata (G.B. Sowerby I, 1825), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Terebridae Family of Auger Shells. The genus Oxymeris is one of nineteen genera in this family, and there are twenty-two species in this genus. In Mexico they are known as  the Barrena Cebra Caracol.

Description: The Zebra Auger Shell is solidly built, stout, and consists of twelve to fifteen fairly flat-sided whorls. The spiral sutures, between whorls, are the only noticeable sculpting. The aperture is elongate and the siphon canal is short. The exterior of the shell may be white to yellowish brown in color, with chestnut or dark brown, wavy, lengthwise, stripes. The interior color matches the exterior. There are specimens that are all white or all chestnut brown. The shell photographed above was collected dead, and unfortunately, a dark coating covers the usual beautiful coloration. Zebra Auger Shells reach a maximum of 16.4 cm (6.5 inches) and 3.6 cm (1.4 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: Zebra Augers are found on sand in the intertidal zone, and at depths up to 55 m (180 feet). They are are subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from north of Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula.

Ecology and Behavior: Zebra Augers are a poorly studied and understood species. There is very limited documentation of their diet, predation, reproduction or ecosystem interactions. Other species in the Terebridae Family are predators that feed primarily on polychaete worms. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. The eggs are laid in protective capsules. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective the Zebra Auger has not been formally evaluated. However, they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Acus strigata, Bucinnum elongatum, Terebra flammea, Terebra strigata, and Terebra zebra.