E-Fauna Photo Gallery

Turritropis cancellata  (Checkeredhairysnail)

Photo of Turritropis cancellata by Aaron Baldwin
© Aaron Baldwin (Photo ID #2305)

Photographer's Submitted Details

Photo Location Sitka Sound, Alaska Photographer Aaron Baldwin
Habitat Rocky areas, lower intertidal
Photo Date Upload Date October 28, 2007
Elevation (m)
UTM Zone # Latitude
UTM Easting Longitude
UTM Northing Photo ID # 2305
Notes This common species is unusual as it is an obligate kleptoparasite. What this means is that it can only feed by stealing small crustaceans that are captured by tubeworms! It has a very specialized proboscis (seen here in the act of stealing) that is perfect for picking food from a tubeworm tentacle but useless for feeding any other way. The common name for this family, hairy snails, refers to the hairy periostracum on the shell (a periostracum is a proteinaceous covering on the outside of the shell)


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