#littorinimorpha

[snototter]

A flamingo tongue snail (Cyphoma gibbosum) on a purple sea fan in the Arcadin Islands, Haiti.

by Nick Hobgood

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Identifying species can be an extremely difficult job for biologists-- especially when the animal in question has too few distinguishing features, or too many. Perhaps no species demonstrates this better than Littorina saxatilis, aka the rough periwinkle snail. Due to the extreme variations in shell shape, size, and color, this species has been misidentified by taxonomists 112 times! Even today, scientists are still in dispute over whether genetically distinct populations should be considered separate species.

(Image: Six rough periwinkle snails (Littorina saxatilis) by Sue Scott)

Want to request some art or uncharismatic facts? Just send me proof of donation of any amount to any of the fundraisers on this list, or a Palestinian organization of your choice!

Bonus: check out the list of L. saxatilis' former names below the cut!

Litorina groenlandica Menke, 1830

Litorina incarnata Philippi, 1846

Litorina marmorata L. Pfeiffer, 1839

Litorina sulcata Menke, 1830

Littorina castanea Deshayes in Deshayes & Milne Edwards, 1843

Littorina danieli Locard, 1886

Littorina groenlandica (Menke, 1830)

Littorina neglecta Bean, 1844

Littorina nervillei Dautzenberg, 1893

Littorina nervillei var. major Pallary in Seurat, 1924

Littorina nigrolineata Gray, 1839

Littorina palliata var. turritella Schlesch, 1916

Littorina rudis (Maton, 1797) (synonym)

Littorina rudis f. elatior Middendorff, 1849

Littorina rudis var. albida Dautzenberg, 1887

Littorina rudis var. alticola Dacie, 1917

Littorina rudis var. aurantia Dautzenberg, 1887

Littorina rudis var. brevis Dautzenberg, 1887

Littorina rudis var. conoidea Schlesch, 1916

Littorina rudis var. fasciata Dautzenberg, 1887

Littorina rudis var. finmarchia Herzenstein, 1885

Littorina rudis var. globosa Jeffreys, 1865

Littorina rudis var. globosa Martel, 1901

Littorina rudis var. laevis Jeffreys, 1865

Littorina rudis var. major Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina rudis var. rubescens Monterosato, 1878

Littorina rudis var. scotia S.M. Smith, 1979

Littorina rudis var. similis Jeffreys, 1865

Littorina rudis var. sulcata Martel, 1901

Littorina rudis var. tenebrosapallida L.E. Adams, 1896

Littorina rudis var. tessellata Dautzenberg, 1893

Littorina saxatile La Roque, 1953

Littorina saxatile saxatile La Roque, 1953

Littorina saxatilis Johnston, 1842

Littorina saxatilis f. abbreviata Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis f. conoidea Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis f. elongata Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis f. minor Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis groenlandica (Menke, 1830)

Littorina saxatilis groenlandica var. sculpta Schlesch, 1931

Littorina saxatilis jugosa Montagu, 1803

Littorina saxatilis jugosa var. bynei Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis jugosa var. tenuis James, 1968

Littorina saxatilis nigrolineata Gray, 1839

Littorina saxatilis rudis (Maton, 1797)

Littorina saxatilis rudis var. rudissimoides James, 1968

Littorina saxatilis scotia Graham, 1988

Littorina saxatilis tenebrosa (Montagu, 1803)

Littorina saxatilis tenebrosa var. biinterrupta Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1963

Littorina saxatilis tenebrosa var. bizonaria James, 1963

Littorina saxatilis tenebrosa var. elata Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis tenebrosa var. maculata Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1963

Littorina saxatilis var. clarilineata Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1971

Littorina saxatilis var. flammulata Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis var. fulva Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis var. fusca Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis var. gascae Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1971

Littorina saxatilis var. groenlandica (Menke, 1830)

Littorina saxatilis var. hieroglyphica Fischer-Piette, Gaillard & Jouin, 1961

Littorina saxatilis var. interrupta Fischer-Piette, Gaillard & Jouin, 1961

Littorina saxatilis var. lagunae Barnes, 1993

Littorina saxatilis var. lineata Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis var. lugubris Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis var. nigra Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1971

Littorina saxatilis var. nojensis Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1964

Littorina saxatilis var. rubra Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1971

Littorina saxatilis var. rubrolineata Fischer-Piette, Gaillard & Delmas, 1967

Littorina saxatilis var. salvati Fischer-Piette, Gaillard & Delmas, 1967

Littorina saxatilis var. sanguinea Coen, 1933

Littorina saxatilis var. sellensis Fischer-Piette & Gaillard, 1964

Littorina saxatilis var. tractibus Fischer-Piette, Gaillard & Jouin, 1961

Littorina saxatilis var. trifasciata Dautzenberg & P. Fisher, 1912

Littorina saxatilis zonata Daniel, 1883

Littorina saxoides Nardo, 1847

Littorina simplex Reeve, 1857

Littorina tenebrosa (Montagu, 1803)

Littorina tenebrosa f. elatior Middendorff, 1849

Littorina tenebrosa var. costulata Middendorff, 1849

Littorina tenebrosa var. densecostulata Middendorff, 1849

Littorina tenebrosa var. grisolacteus Middendorff, 1849

Littorina tenebrosa var. intermedia Forbes & Hanley, 1850

Littorina tenebrosa var. rubidus Middendorff, 1849

Littorina tenebrosa var. tessellatus Middendorff, 1849

Littorina tenebrosa var. zonatus Middendorff, 1849

Littorina zonaria Bean, 1844

Nerita rustica Nardo, 1847

Turbo obligatus Say, 1822

Turbo rudis Maton, 1797

Turbo rudissimus Johnston, 1842

[chlorophyll-and-chitin]

Conuber sp.

11-JUN-2025

Melbourne, Vic

[wikipedia-the-non-official]

Mainwaringia leithii

Mainwaringia leithii species , marine gastropod mollusk Littorinidae, winkles periwinkles.[1]

Mainwaringia leithii

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryota

: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Subclass: Caenogastropoda

: Littorinimorpha

: Littorinidae

Genus: Mainwaringia

Species: M. leithii

Binomial

Mainwaringia leithii

(E. . , 1876)

Synonyms[1]

Alaba leithii E.. , 1876

Melania paludomoidea Nevill, 1885

References

Mainwaringia leithii (E.. , 1876). Reid, G. (2010). Mainwaringia leithii (E.. , 1876). Accessed : Marine Species http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=446280 6 June 2010 .

~ Hope you enjoy wiki ^^

~ @not-in-the-bible

Ps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainwaringia_leithii

Pps: please tag this with #unbibled

:0

[life-on-our-planet]

“These are the eyes of a Strawberry Conch (Conomurex luhuanus). They inhabit the shallow tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef and feed on algae and detritus.” © Lawrence Scheele

[rattyexplores]

The splendid “Dog Conch”

An edible species, but I certainly couldn’t bring myself to kill one.

Laevistrombus canarium

15/06/22

[heracliteanfire]

Scientific name: Vermiculus lumbricalis var. cornea Morch, 1861

(via Natural History Museum - Collection specimens  - Data Portal)

[animalids]

Arthritic spider conch (Harpago arthriticus)

Photo by FloT974

[dendroica]

Multi-snail pile-up (by me)

[marineexplorer]

Southern velvet snail Lamellaria australis #marineexplorer by John Turnbull Via Flickr: Is it a snail? Is it a slug? Can it leap tall buildings? When I first spotted this mollusc on our recent #reeflifesurvey at Shiprock I knew the answer to one of these questions. GE answered the other two... velvet snails have a flat internal shell, covered by a fleshy mantle like a cowry. They are part of the same order, Littorinimorpha, which also includes some land and freshwater snails.

[snototter]

A giant triton sea snail (Charonia tritonis) in Southwestern Mayotte, Africa

by Kary Mar

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Slip on the Common Slipper Limpet

The common slipper limpet, also known as the boat shell or the fornicating slipper snail (Crepidula fornicata) is a species of sea snail native to the North American coast of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, it has been introduced to the eastern coasts of Europe and parts of the Pacific Northwest and Japan. They can reside in a variety of habitats including bays, estuaries, island shores, and rocky intertidal zones; their maximum depth tolerance is 70m (229 ft).

Fornicating slipper snails are noted for their unique mating methods. Adults typically live stacked on top of each other, with up to 12 to 14 individuals in a group. The largest, and oldest adults are at the bottom of the stack, while the younger, smaller adults are at the top. C. fornicata is a sequential hermaphrodite; new adults are all male, and will change into females as they get older or if they become the oldest in a stack of all males.

Breeding can occur between Februrary and October, although the peak season is in May or June. Unlike other marine mollusks, which are broadcast spawners, the common slipper limpet utilizes internal fertilization. The male closest to the female at the bottom extends his penis under her shell and fertilize up to 11000 eggs. These eggs hatch after about 3-4 weeks, and the planktonic larvae are released into the water. These larvae take 4-5 weeks to develop into juveniles, at which point they settle either on bare rock or on top of an established limpet chain. If it settles in isolation, the young adult immediately changes into a female; if it settles on a chain, it remains a male. Adults can live on these chains for up to 6 years.

Adult boat shells are rather small, ranging in length from 20–50 mm (0.7-1.9 in). The shell is distinctly arched, with a flat underside that gives it a slipper-like appearance. The shell can be white, pink, or yellow with red or brown streaks; older adults are often covered in algal growth.

Conservation status: The common slipper limpet has not been evaluated by the IUCN. Although they are commonly harvested for food, populations are considered stable. Outside its native range, this species is considered invasive and harmful to other limpet snails.

If you like what I do, consider buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

Dr Keith Hiscock

Sytske Dijksen

[chlorophyll-and-chitin]

Bembicium sp.

11-JUN-2025

Melbourne, Vic

[mondaymorgue]

Frog Snail (Bufonaria sp.) Chek Jawa, 28th December 2016

Wild Fact Sheets

A preliminary checklist of the molluscs of Singapore

There are 2 species of Frog Snail recorded in Singapore waters:

Common Frog Snail (Bufonaria rana)

The Biodiversity of Singapore

Shells of South East Queensland

Shell-bearing gastropod molluscs of the Singapore Strait

Hardy's Internet Guide to Marine Gastropods & Near Classes

Conchology, Inc.

Femorale

WMSDB - Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base

The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 1

SeaLifeBase

Near-elegant Frog Snail (Bufonaria perelegans)

Hardy's Internet Guide to Marine Gastropods & Near Classes

Conchology, Inc.

Femorale

WMSDB - Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base

SeaLifeBase

[nickywilso]

The triton Ranella australasia australasia Pauatahanui Inlet 311016

[rattyexplores]

Small Periwinkle

usually found on the nearby mangroves, these snails feed on the leaves and the various algae and fungi that grow on these trees.

Unidentified, Littoraria

15/06/22