Portal:Gastropods/Did you know

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  • three views of the shell
    Neripteron cornucopia
    ... that Neripteron cornucopia (three views of a shell pictured) was rediscovered in India after 180 years?



  • brown slug-like sas nail heading left
    Coriocella nigra
    ... that the marine gastropod Coriocella nigra (pictured) has five lobes on its body?


  • ... that the Cretaceous snail Condonella was described in 1927, but not placed into a snail family until 2000?


  • a right handed shell
    Photo of an apertural view of Sinotaia aeruginosa
    ... that Sinotaia aeruginosa (shell pictured) is common in restaurants in China?
  • a right handed shell
    Drawing of an apertural view of Acmella nana
    ... that Acmella nana (shell pictured) is the smallest known land snail?
  • a right handed shell with apex eroded
    Drawing of an apertural view of Semisulcospira libertina
    ... that Semisulcospira libertina (shell pictured) is the most common freshwater snail in Japan?
  • lateral view of two heteropods
    Drawing of two Carinaria cristata, the upper one without the shell
    ... that the fragile shell of the glassy nautilus Carinaria cristata (pictured) was at one time considered to be worth more than its weight in gold?
  • a pinkish nudibranch
    Photo of dorsal view of Spurilla neapolitana
    ... that Spurilla neapolitana (pictured) defends itself with stinging cells derived from the sea anemones it eats?
  • a right handed shell with a palatal tooth
    Photo of an apertural view of Pupilla pratensis
    ... that Pupilla pratensis (shell pictured) has long been neglected in the malacological literature?
  • a lake Skadar between Albania and Montenegro
    Map of Lake Skadar
    ... that there are 12 endemic species of freshwater snails in Lake Skadar (map pictured)?
  • a left handed shell
    Photo of an apertural view of Balea sarsii
    ... that the land snail Balea sarsii (shell pictured) has been overlooked for a long time?
  • a cylindrical brown shell
    Photo of an apertural view of Vertigo ultimathule
    ... that the land snail Vertigo ultimathule (shell pictured) is endemic to the northernmost part of Scandinavia?
  • a narrowly conical shell
    Drawing of an apertural view of Hinea brasiliana
    ... that flashes of light emitted by the sea snail Hinea brasiliana (shell pictured) may act as a "burglar alarm"?
  • ... that Candidula arganica, a snail found in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, lives primarily in meadows?


  • ... that Candidula spadae, a snail native to Central Italy, is at risk in part because of tourist activities?


  • a black and white wrawing of dorsal view of a slug
    Drawing of dorsal view of Rathouisia leonina
    ... that the land slug Rathouisia leonina (pictured) from China is carnivorous?
  • an apical view of a valvatiform white shell
    a shell of Hauffenia sp. from Slovakia
    ... that the subterranean freshwater snail Hauffenia sp. from Slovakia (shell pictured) has been an undescribed species since the 1980s?
  • a grey snail with a flat brown shell
    a live Oxychilus camelinus
    ... that the land snail Oxychilus camelinus (pictured) was described from Lebanon?
  • apertural view of a brown shell
    shell of holotype of Abbottella calliotropis
    ... that land snails of the genus Abbottella (Abbottella calliotropis shell pictured) live on the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba?
  • a human hand holding a large snail
    a live Tonna galea out of water
    ... that the snail Tonna galea (pictured) is one of very few species of prosobranch gastropods that are luminescent?
  • apical view of a brown shell
    shell of holotype of Notodiscus hookeri heardensis
    ... that the land snail Notodiscus hookeri (shell pictured) has unique shell structure among all gastropods?
  • a snail with a translucent shell
    a live Zospeum tholussum
    ... that the microscopic cave snail Zospeum tholussum (pictured) is so slow that in a week's time it may only move a few millimeters or centimeters in circles?


  • black and white portrait of a man with beard
    Mattheus Marinus Schepman
    ... that Dutch malacologist Mattheus Marinus Schepman (pictured) originally described hundreds of taxa?
  • a crawling land snail with high spire
    live Newcombia cumingi
    ... that the tree snail Newcombia cumingi (pictured) is the only Newcombia species found on the island of Maui?
  • a crawling orange land snail
    live Omalonyx convexus
    ... that the land snail Omalonyx convexus (pictured) can also be found submerged among macrophytes?
  • ... that the malacologist S. Peter Dance said the shell of Pterynotus loebbeckei, (pictured), was the "most exquisite natural object" he had ever seen?


  • black-brown shell
    shell of Faunus ater
    ... that the only brackish-water pachychilid species, Faunus ater (shell pictured), has a shell that is unique among all the Cerithioidea?



  • a limper among seaweed
    a live Lottia gigantea
    ... that the owl limpet (pictured) maintains a small meadow of algal turf for its own exclusive use?
  • left side view of beige snail with a bit darker head and with brown oblong shell
    a live Cecina manchurica
    ... that the pomatiopsid Cecina (Cecina manchurica pictured) lives among decaying seaweeds?