Northern moon snail
Encyclopedia
The northern moon snail, scientific name Euspira heros, is a species
of large sea snail
, a predatory marine
gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae
, the moon snails (U.S.) or necklace snails (U.K.).
This large snail is rather uncommon intertidally, but is much more common subtidally. This species, like all moon snails, feeds voraciously on clams and other snails.
This western Atlantic species occurs in
There is a sibling species on the Pacific coast of North America: Lunatia lewisii (Gould, 1847).
.
The minimum recorded depth is 0 m. and maximum recorded depth is 435 m.
The operculum
is large, ear-shaped in outline, and is corneus and somewhat transparent. On beaches where the shell of this species washed up commonly, the operculum will usually also be found washed up in the drift line.
When empty shells of clams and snails, including other moon snails, are seen to have a neat "countersunk
" hole drilled in them, this is evidence of predation by a moon snail.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of large sea snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
, a predatory marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae
Naticidae
Naticidae, common name the moon snails, is a family of minute to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha.Naticidae is the only family in the superfamily Naticoidea....
, the moon snails (U.S.) or necklace snails (U.K.).
This large snail is rather uncommon intertidally, but is much more common subtidally. This species, like all moon snails, feeds voraciously on clams and other snails.
Distribution
The distribution of Euspira heros falls within the range: 51.5°N to 33°N; 76°W to 65°W.This western Atlantic species occurs in
- Canada: Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick
- USA: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina.
There is a sibling species on the Pacific coast of North America: Lunatia lewisii (Gould, 1847).
Habitat
Euspira heros lives on mud and sand substrates in bathyal, infralittoral and circalittoral parts and estuaryEstuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
.
The minimum recorded depth is 0 m. and maximum recorded depth is 435 m.
Shell description
The shell of this species is globular and can, under the right conditions, grow as large as 125 mm (7 inches) in maximum dimension.The operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
is large, ear-shaped in outline, and is corneus and somewhat transparent. On beaches where the shell of this species washed up commonly, the operculum will usually also be found washed up in the drift line.
Moon snail predation
Evidence of northern moon snail predation is usually much easier to find than the snails themselves:The powerful foot enables this gastropod to plow under the sand in search of other mollusks. Upon finding one, it "drills" a hole into the shell with its radulaRadulaThe radula is an anatomical structure that is used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared rather inaccurately to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the esophagus...
, releases digestive enzymes, and sucks out the somewhat predigested contents.
When empty shells of clams and snails, including other moon snails, are seen to have a neat "countersunk
Countersink
A countersink is a conical hole cut into a manufactured object, or the cutter used to cut such a hole. A common usage is to allow the head of a countersunk bolt or screw, when placed in the hole, to sit flush with or below the surface of the surrounding material...
" hole drilled in them, this is evidence of predation by a moon snail.
External links
- Eco Field Guide: Northern moon snail
- The Long IslandLong IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
Shell Club, 1988, Seashells of Long Island, Long Island Shell Club, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.