This blog is dedicated to the environmental well-being of our Florida coastal habitat.

This blog is
dedicated to the environmental well-being of coastal habitat.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Snails - City Island

Black snails in water, Battilaria minima are the most common shell in the area.

B. Gastropods lay eggs which develop thru several stages.; first a trochophore then a veliger and finally a juvenile. Both the trochophore and veliger can be released early and develop further in the plankton. In order Pulmonata, to which both snails below belong, development proceeds to juvenile before hatching, ie no planktonic stage. The Battilaria appear to be marooned on an “island” of flat rocks surrounded by sand.lack

(Click photos for close-ups.)
































Snails on mangrove

branches
are Melampus coffeus, and they do mass like this, especially at high tide. They don't want to get wet.