Grinning Tun (5”+)

The Grinning Tun, Malea ringens (Swainson, 1822), is a member of the Tonnidae Family of Tun Shells, that is known in Mexico as caracol barril and caracol bola. They are named for their aperture which looks like a large, toothy, smile. The shells are large, swollen and consist of five whorls, the spire is low, the aperture is large, heavily toothed, with a deep groove in the middle of the inner lip, and the exterior is sculpted with wide ridges that spiral down the whorls. The shells are brown, yellowish-white or white in color. Grinning Tun Shells reach a maximum height of 27.0 cm (10.6 inches).

Grinning Tuns are found over and within sand substrate in the intertidal zone to depths up to 130 feet. They range from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. They are found throughout the Sea of Cortez.