Voluta musica

[1] The species occurs on the mainland Caribbean coast in Colombia and Venezuela, and in the West Indies from the following islands or countries: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, and Trinidad & Tobago.

[2][4] These medium-sized, very solid, axially ribbed shells are characterized by delicate blackish to reddish brown markings on a creamy background color, with a characteristic series of lines resembling a musical manuscript (hence the common name "music volute").

[3] Specimens from the Eastern Caribbean island of Barbados are pink in color (var.

Voluta musica is usually found alive in muddy and sandy substrate at depths of 5 m to 28 m.,[2] although at Barbados this species has been found with their dorsums dry as they crawl across exposed South Coast reefs at very low tide and have been trapped alive at depths of about 100 m. along the island's West Coast.

[3] Embryos develop into free-swimming planktonic marine larvae (trochophore) and later into juvenile veligers.

Voluta musica -variety 'carneolata'
A shell of Voluta musica