Abstract: Cinctura sp. are carnivorous snails in the Tampa Bay area. The two species, C. hunteria and C. lilium are commonly misidentified, but spread throughout the Gulf of Mexico. These similar looking species’ preferences and diets in the wild however, are underrepresented in studies, preferences have been determined to be equal for gastropods and bivalves, but studies on species in Tampa Bay are lacking.  As species abundance changes in Tampa Bay, opportunistic prey has the ability to change for Cinctura sp.. Snails from Tampa Bay will be surveyed by dissecting out stomachs and metabarcoding stomach contents. Digested species are hypothesized to be gastropods and bivalves common in Tampa Bay, both native and non-native. Determining predation helps to determine energy flow in the ecosystem and control of invasive species. 

For more information: Gnhoenig@eckerd.edu