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Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Family Janthinidae
Violet
Snails
| Pelagic drifters that feed upon
Portuguese
Man-'O-War, Porpita, and Velella. Float by secreting a bubble raft; also secretes a
purple dye when disturbed. Restricted to the open ocean and only washed ashore during storms.
Their shells are paper-thin. |
Janthina globosa feeding on Porpita
Janthina janthina
VIOLET SNAIL
| The most common violet snail, it is dorsally compressed. About
3/4 inch wide. Collected at Waimanalo Bay, Oahu. |
Janthina exigua
DWARF VIOLET SNAIL
| A tiny shell only found on beaches after storms. Blue-purple
with a V-shaped notch in the outer lip. Less than 1/3 inch.
Collected at Waimanalo Bay, Oahu. |
Janthina globosa
GLOBE VIOLET SNAIL
| Rare, it has a tall purple shell with inflated whorls. Up to 1
inch. Collected at Waimanalo Bay, Oahu. |
Family
Lamellariidae
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Small thin shells with a large aperture similar to
Polinices moon snails. The animal's mantle completely and
permanently covers the shell. The mantle is colored to resemble
the tunicates it feeds upon. Rarely found due to their small size
and cryptic habit and difficult to identify. |
Lamellaria
sp.
Kewalo, Oahu, 80 feet
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Kewalo, Oahu, 80 feet |
Kewalo, Oahu, 80 feet |
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| Found in rubble, dead coral, or algae. About 1/2 inch. |
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