Little Blue Periwinkle
Click to enlarge image
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Austrolittorina
- Species
- unifasciata
- Subfamily
- Littorininae
- Family
- Littorinidae
- Super Family
- Littorinoidea
- Order
- Littorinimorpha
- Subclass
- Caenogastropoda
- Class
- Gastropoda
- Phylum
- Mollusca
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 1.6 cm
These tiny blue snails are about the size of your little fingernail and are the most abundant molluscs on the rocky shore, generally found toward the high-tide mark.
Identification
The name of this snail comes from its small size and the pale blue colour of its shell.
Little Blue Periwinkle, Austrolittorina unifasciata
Image: Andrew Donnelly© Australian Museum
Habitat
Little Blue Periwinkles live in intertidal rock pools.
Distribution
Little Blue Periwinkles are found in Southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Feeding and diet
During high tide they rove around the rock platform, scraping algae and lichens from the rock with their strong radula. They travel up to 12 m in search of food, which is quite a feat for an animal that is only 15 mm long.
Other behaviours and adaptations
Little Blue Periwinkles live in clusters of thousands, which helps prevent moisture loss.
