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Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Family
Naticidae
Moon Snails
| Moons live beneath the sand and feed upon snails and urchins by
drilling a circular hole and injecting acidic saliva. Sand and
eggs are glued together to form a layered coil or collar. |
HAWAII
Natica gualteriana
| Common in sand in shallow water. Less than 1 inch.
Operculum is calcareous, white. Hawaii & the Indo-West
Pacific. |
Natica bougei
| Rare at scuba depths. Less than 1/2 inch. Hawaii & the
tropical Pacific. |
Polinices melanostomus
| Rare at scuba depths. Less than 1 inch. Hawaii & the
Indo-Pacific. |
Polinices
simiae
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Haleiwa Trench, Oahu, 50 feet |
Egg mass, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet
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Egg mass, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet
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Egg mass, Cargo Pier, Midway Atoll, 5 feet |
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| Uncommon in sand at scuba depths. Less than 1 inch.
Operculum is transparent red. Hawaii & the Tropical Pacific. |
Polinices
tumidus
| Uncommon in sand. About 2 inches. Operculum is transparent
brown. Hawaii & the Tropical Pacific. |
INDO-PACIFIC
Polinices aurantius
GOLDEN MOON SNAIL
| Tropical Western Pacific. About 1.5
inches. |
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