#20 Trochus Snail
Common Name: Snail
Description
- About one inch in size
- They have cone shaped shells
- They are invertebrates and have an exoskeleton which is their shell and are bilaterally symmetrical
- Their hard shells are used for protecting their soft bodies
- They have a radula that is covered in sharp curved teeth
- They have sense organs (eyes) at the ends of the long tentacles that are sensitive to light and dark
- A trochus snail's shell is broadly cone shaped and have a flat base
- The outer and basal lips are smooth
- The columella has a strong fold above, which ends with a obtuse tooth below
- The adult shell is typically covered in coralline algae
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Vetigastropoda
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Trochus
Species: Niloticus
Ecology
- The trochus snail provides food for organisms in its area and also for humans
- They are able to release toxins in the water to avoid predation
- Trochus snails generally live for about 5-8 years
- Their shells can also serve as a source of jewellery with its amazing pearl like interior
photo?
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