Malacology
Malacology is the study of mollusks. This includes animals like octopus, snails, slugs, and clams. It is the second largest phylum of animals, making them one of the most successful groups on the planet. There are over 80,000 described species of mollusks with many more left to be discovered. Mullusca is composed of 8 recognized classes including Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora, Scaphapoda, Monoplacophorans, the Aplacophorans, Caudofoveata and Solenogastres, and Bivalvia.
Northern Moon Snail
(Say, 1822)
Euspira heros
Class:
Gastropoda
Order:
Littorinimorpha
Family:
Naticidae
Image Voucher:
ANSP 321845
Ecological Information
Distribution:
Depth (m):
Greenland to Delaware
0 to 435 meters
Diet:
Carnivore; They feed on a variety of bivalves.
Habitat:
Marine; Sand and mud flats
Misc. Facts
The Northern Moon Snail hunts by encasing its prey in a mucus sheet before pulling it beneath the sediments of the ocean floor. Then, it drills a hole through the prey's hard shell by secreting acidic enzymes and using a modified radula. When the hole is drilled it can "sucks out" the soft inner body of the prey.
Citations
MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase.?Euspira heros?(Say, 1822). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=160315 on 2021-06-10
Rosenberg, G. 2009. Malacolog 4.1.1: A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca. [WWW database (version 4.1.1)] URL http://www.malacolog.org/