Violet Snail
Click to enlarge image
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Janthina
- Species
- janthina
- Family
- Epitoniidae
- Super Family
- Epitonioidea
- Subclass
- Caenogastropoda
- Class
- Gastropoda
- Phylum
- Mollusca
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 3 cm
-
- Habitats
- pelagic
The Violet Snail is sometimes found washed ashore, particularly during summer in Sydney.
Identification
The Violet Snail is a pretty purple colour and is sometimes found washed ashore.
Violet Snails
Image: Dr Isobel Bennett© Australian Museum
Habitat
The Violet Snail lives in oceans and coastal waters.
Distribution
The Violet Snail is found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and eastern Tasmania. Widespread overseas in Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans in tropical and subtropical waters.
Feeding and diet
The Violet Snail manages to float by producing its own mucus-covered bubble raft, and feeding on floating cnidarians such as Blue Bottles (Physalia physalis) and By-the-wind Sailors (Velella velella).
Other behaviours and adaptations
Most of the Violet Snail's life is spent floating on the ocean surface at the mercy of the winds.
Life history cycle
The Violet Snail broods its young and releases the miniature adults directly into the sea. All offspring begin life as male and later transform into females.
