Ocean Creatures
Common periwinkle
Littorina littorea
Photo/observer: Gracelyn
What it looks like:
Most commonly has a brown shell with distinctive white or brown spiralling lines on their shell. They have slimy head that can retract into their shell, with two antenna on their head. These snails also have a small flat, triangular tail.
Observed Habitat/Behavior
Gracelyn found it slinking across a tidepool. Periwinkle snails are frequently found at the beach huddling on the sides of rocks at low tide, or sliding across tidepools.
Massachusetts Conservation Status
Periwinkle snails are very common in Massachusetts. They can be found at nearly any beach.
Massachusetts Native Status
Periwinkle snails are not native to Massachusetts. They were introduced to North America in around 1857.
Natural History
Periwinkle snails can grow to be up to four centimeters long. They are one of the largest types of the approximate 80 species of snail. Periwinkle snails have a single foot to make up most of their body, which they use to cling onto rocks at low tide. These snails are herbivores, and use their file-like tongue to feed on diatoms and algae attached to rocks.
Source: britannica.com, www.edc.uri.edu