Turban snail

Mollusca – Gastropoda

Distribution:       

Turban snails are found living in rock pools and on shallow reefs along the Western Australian coastline. As a protection from predators, the turban’s body can be pulled inside the shell and its aperture closed by a shelly trap door called the operculum. After the turban’s death, these trap doors may be found washed up onto the beach – in the tropics some very colourful ones are called cat’s eyes.

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Did you know?

You may notice scars on the outside surfaces of some turban shells. These are made by horse shoe limpets that attach themselves to the shell to feed on the turban’s mucus and body wastes.

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