Gastropods

Click on photo to enlarge. Scale line in photo equals 1cm unless otherwise specified.
* Species which are commonly encountered on the beach.

Mangeliidae

off Ucluelet, BC
Kurtzia arteaga (Dall & Bartsch, 1910)
Beaded Mangelia
subtidal to at least 114m size to 10mm
northern Mexico to central BC
This species has axial ribs and spiral cords which give it a beaded effect where they cross.
(synonyms - Mangilia arteaga, Kurtzia gordoni)

San Juan Islands, WA San Juan Islands, WA

Oenopota elegans (Möller, 1842)
Elegant Lora
subtidal size to 18mm
circumboreal, extending south to Washington, Maine, northern Europe
This shell has prominent axial ribs which are slightly angled down the shell. It also exhibits smaller spiral ridges. They are typically found on silt/mud in fairly shallow water.
(synonyms - Propebela elegans, Lora elegans, Defrancia elegans, Lora galgana)

Neah Bay, WA
Mangelia crebricostata Carpenter, 1864
Violet-Band Mangelia
intertidal to 85m size to 15mm
northern Washington to Alaska
This is rarely found intertidally. The shell is white to tan with a darker brown to violet spiral band. Look for it in sand or sand/mud habitat feeding on polychaete tube worms.
(synonyms - Kurtziella crebricostata, Oenopota crebricostata)

The Oenopota can be very difficult to identify. Any identification is a "best guess", but our best guess was done by Pacific Northwest turrid authority, Dr. Ron Shimek. There has yet to be any DNA work done on specimens from the northeast Pacific to verify their relationships.

off Victoria, BC San Juan Islands, WA, subtidal

Oenopota levidensis (Carpenter, 1864)
subtidal Washington to Alaska size to 20mm
This shell has a very tall spire with wide axial ribs. It may be orangish brown to reddish brown. This is one of the most common Oenopota in our area.
(previous name - Mangelia levidensis)

San Juan Islands, WA
Propebela fidicula (Gould, 1849)
subtidal size to at least 12mm
Washington to Alaska
This shell has axial ribs, spiral ridges and squared shoulders. The snail lives on or near rocks.
(synonyms - Oenopota fidicula, Canetoma fidicula)

Howe Sound, BC
Oenopota excurvata
(Carpenter, 1864)
subtidal size to at least 10mm
Puget Sound to Bering Sea
This shell has axial ribs, closely spaced spiral ridges and distinct shoulders.
(previous name - Bela excurvata)

San Juan Islands, WA
Oenopota pyramidalis (Strom, 1788)
Pyramid Lora
subtidal, 9-466m size to 20mm
Puget Sound to Bering Sea; Massachusetts to Arctic Canada; Norway
This shell has angled axial ribs and fine spiral lines. The spire is somewhat high. It is usually found on rocks/gravel in deeper water. Very similar appearance to O. elegans but they have different radulae.
(synonyms - Buccinum pyramidalis, Fusus pleurotomarius)

San Juan Islands, WA San Juan Islands, WA San Juan Islands, WA, subtidal

Oenopota tabulata (Carpenter, 1864)
subtidal Washington to Alaska size to at least 15mm
This shell is distinctively pink when alive. It has straight axial ribs, fine spiral lines and squared shoulders.
(previous name - Mangelia tabulata)

San Juan Islands, WA
Propebela turricula (Montagu, 1803)
Turriculate Lora
subtidal, 9-347m size to 15mm
Washington to Bering Sea; Massachusetts to Arctic
This shell has weak axial ribs and fine spiral lines. It has squared shoulders.
(synonyms - Oenopota turricula, Murex turricula)

Dyes Inlet, WA Dyes Inlet, WA, subtidal Whidbey Island, WA, subtidal

Ophiodermella inermis (Reeve, 1843)
Gray Snakeskin-Snail
intertidal to 70m northern Mexico to northern BC size to 40mm
This is infrequently found intertidally. This tall-spired shell has fine spiral grooves. Brown, wavy axial lines give it its name.
(synonyms - Ophiodermella ophiodermella, Ophiodermella incisa, Ophiodermella halcyonis, Ophiodermella montereyensis, Moniliopsis incisa, Pleurotoma inermis)

Borsoniidae

Barkley Sound, BC
Ophiodermella cancellata (Carpenter, 1864)
Cancellate Snakeskin-Snail
subtidal, 50-500m southern California to BC size to 13mm
This shell has cancellate sculpture. The white shell is covered with a brown periostracum. It lives in sandy/silty areas.
(synonyms - Ophiodermella rhines, Pleurotoma vancouverensis)

Pseudomelatomidae

Barkley Sound, BC W. of San Juan Island, WA unknown PNW location

Antiplanes sp.
subtidal size to at least 50mm
probably California to BC
This is a sinistral species, one of the few in the Pacific Northwest. Little study has been done on the Antiplanes in our area and there is a great deal of confusion on the names. The possible species name of this one may be A. vinosa.

Barkley Sound, BC
Rectiplanes sp.
subtidal size to at least 40mm
probably California to Alaska
This is a dextral species. This may be Rectiplanes thalaea.

Family Borsoniidae, Mangeliidae

& Pseudomelatomidae