APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

UK recorded non-native species or non-native invasive species are included within the main list species. Foreign shells, where included, have their own section below the main list of UK recorded species.

The author of this website is the curator of a mollusc collection held by the late Stella Turk C.B.E.. Many of the images on the following pages are of shells from this collection which is being used for both reference and research purposes.

Patellogastropoda

Limpets and Tortoise shell limpets
- Superfamilies Lottioidea and Patelloidea

Vetigastropoda

Green ormer - Superfamily Haliotoidea
Keyhole and Slit limpets - Superfamily Fissurelloidea
Top-shells - Superfamily Trochoidea
Pheasant shells - Superfamily Phasianelloidea
Slit shells - Superfamily Scissurelloidea
Cyclostremes - Superfamily Angarioidea - no UK species

Caenogastropoda (Order Littorinimorpha)

Slipper limpets and Chinaman's hats
- Superfamily Calyptraeoidea
Nutmeg shells - Superfamily Cancellarioidea
Bonnet shells and Hairysnails - Superfamily Capuloidea
Eatonina - Superfamily Cingulopsoidea
Periwinkles and Chink shells - Superfamily Littorinoidea
Eulima and eulimids - Superfamily Vanikoroidea
Necklace shells - Superfamily Naticoidea
Sea Butterfly - Superfamily Pterotracheoidea
Spire shells and Weedsnails
- Superfamily Rissooidea > Family Rissoidae
Lagoon, Blind and Looping snails
- Superfamily Truncatelloidea
Pelican's-foot shells - Superfamily Stromboidea
Triton and Tun shells - Superfamily Tonnoidea
Cowries and Velutinids - Superfamily Velutinoidea
Worm shells - Superfamily Vermetoidea

Caenogastropoda (Order Neogastropoda)

Whelks and Dog whelks - Superfamily Buccinoidea
Raphitomas and other Whelks - Superfamily Conoidea
Dog whelks and Sting winkles - Superfamily Muricoidea
Simnia - Superfamily Cypraeoidea

Caenogastropoda (Order Unassigned)

Bittium, Turritella, Epitonium, Janthina and Cerithiopsis (Needle whelks, Tower shells, Violet snails, Wentletraps and others)

Heterobranchia (Pulmonata)

Auriculinella, Myosotella and Otina (White, Mouse-eared snails and Little-ear shell)

Heterobranchia (Unassigned)

Omalogyrids, Pyramidellids and Rissoellids - (Superfamilies Omalogyroidea, Pyramidelloidea and Rissoelloidea)

Neritimorpha (Order Cycloneritimorpha)

Neritidae (Nerites)

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Plankton of gastropods

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Land snails and also freshwater snails are often found washed-up on the strandline from dunes or other local habitats that are found close to the shore. Rivers and streams also carry terrestrial and freshwater molluscs into the sea and these may end up as a component of what is called shell sand, which is formed predominently from marine species. Small snails can wash up high on the shore if the sand where they once were had dried out, this traps air inside the shell making shells more buoyant and allowing them to wash up with the tide. Below, a few examples of species of land snails that are commonly found on the shore.

Cernuella
Cernuella virgata (Da Costa, 1778) - Striped Snail

Colchlicella
Cochlicella acuta (O. F. Müller, 1774) - Pointed Snail

Cochlicopa
Cochlicopa lubrica (Müller, 1774) - Slippery Snail

Cornu
Cornu aspersum (O. F. Müller, 1774)
- Common or Garden Snail

Theba
Theba pisana (Müller, 1774)
- White, Pisan or Sandhill Snail

For more land snail images please visit the 'Slugs and Snails' page of APHOTOFAUNA