Ecology of the Sandy Beach Gastropod Mazatlania Aciculata in Quizandal (Carabobo, Venezuela)

Mazatlania aciculata is a small snail, very common on Venezuelan sandy beaches. The presence of M. aciculata was recorded in different localitites including the area of Puerto Cabello (Carabobo), the Bay of Turiamo, on the littoral of the Distrito Federal, the Peninsula of Paria and also on the Island of Margarita. Its abundance, especially in the oriental coast of Venezuela, is very high and the shell is used for artistic purposes. This abundance contrasts with the very scarce information about the species we have found in the malacological literature for the Caribbean area.