Scientific Name:
Tegula funebralis
Description
High intertidal snail with a purple-black shell measuring just over 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. It can be found along the Pacific coast from Canada to Baja Mexico.
Behaviors
These snails live in shallow tide pools or on kelp close to the ocean surface. They graze on a variety of algae and their primary predators are sea otters and sea stars.
Fun Facts
When the snails die, hermit crabs often take over their shells to use as homes. It can be hard to tell the two species apart in tide pools!
Nature Topics
Photo credit: ©Kip Evans
