Sea Snails

Did you know? It is said that when you held an empty shell of sea snail to your ear, you can hear a hum, which is why people often say that you can hear the ocean in a shell. But the sound maybe caused by air that passes through the shell, or possibly the sound of your own blood flow. Sea snails are widely known to be one of the most slowest living animals. Sea snails are an extremely diverse group of marine gastropods that presence all over the world. They are also diverse in shapes and colors. The most interesting part is that we do not have to dive deep in the ocean, since they presence abundantly in shallow coastal waters, especially the old sea snail shells which we can collect on the sea shores!

Some of the unique sea snail species presence in Kapas Island are Trochus maculatus and Chicoreus ramosus. Trochus maculatus get its name from the maculated top shell. They are conical in shape, with presence of umbilicus and dentate columella. This species was once featured on a 1985 stamp from the Cocos Islands (Keeling Islands).

Other than that, Drupella is also a genus of sea snail that can commonly be found on coral Acropora sp. and Pocillopora sp, since both coral species are their preferred species to feed on. Other than that, Chicoreus ramosus is unique, since they have bright orange edge at the shell opening. The operculum of this species is an important raw material in making incense sticks, since it burns slower.

Most of the sea snails are algal grazers, by grazing on the rocks and coral reefs. This results in keeping their habitat clean. However, there are also omnivorous sea snails that feed on small snails, mollusks and corals. Some of the carnivorous sea snails may carry venom in their radula which is used to kill their prey. Hence, we must be cautious with a cone snail, since their venom is deadly to humans.