Conical Moon Snail

Conuber conicum

Sea Life Native IUCN: Not Evaluated

About

Moon Snails leave trails behind them as they move across sand at low tide. Like all snails in this family, they are predators, eating bivalves and other sea snails by drilling a hole into the shell, using their rough radular and acid, through which they extract the soft body. These holes have a distinctive countersunk shape, being narrower at the bottom than the top. While drilling, the Moon Snail holds its prey in its large, muscular foot to prevent it escaping. Females lay 'C' shape egg masses in a stiff jelly, which are often mistaken for jellyfish

Size

Can grow up to around 53mm

Habitat

Intertidal sand flats

Distribution

Mainland Australia and Tasmania

Local Sightings

1 recorded sighting in and around the area.

References & citations (1)
  1. The Atlas of Living Australia (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)

Header image: CC BY-SA 4.0 © wildroo

Disclaimer: A lot of work goes into making sure identifications, descriptions, sizes, habitats and distribution details are as accurate as possible — but this information is ever-changing, so no guarantee is offered that it is correct or currently valid. Treat it as a guide and do a little of your own research for the latest word. Feedback and corrections are always welcome.