Littorina littorea

(Common Periwrinkle Snail)

Introduction-

The Littorina littorea also known as the periwinkle snail inhabit many areas where it is recognized by its turban-shaped shell. The color of the shells varies with colors including cream, black, orange, and the most common being a light brown color. The exterior is anywhere from 31mm to 53mm in size, with the males often growing larger than the females.

The snail is commonly found on rocky coasts, but also in tide pools, muddy areas, and beaches. These animals are herbivores, their diet includes various algae, tiny barnacles and muscles, leaves, and the eggs of other snails. The periwinkle snail is a vital part of the coastal food web. They do not have many competitors, besides other species of snails, however, many larger animals consume them, and they are host to many parasites (Summary).

Taxonomy of the Periwrinkle snail

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Order: Neotaenioglossa

Family: Littorinidae

Genus: Littorina

Species: littorea

(Perwrinkle Snail)

Background & Adaption-

The Littorina littorea is native to Europe, where it is found in the White Sea to Gibraltar. The snail was found in the 1900s inhabiting Washington and California, this appearance is said to occur due to the transplantation of Eastern Oysters. This species is said to have many introductions to habitats due to the genetic diversity of the periwinkle snail. It is a common food eaten in Europe, but not in the U.S. (Summary).

Upon arriving in the U.S. it has wiped out native snails and become the greatest population of shallow-water snails. This is due to the fact these snails can survive in harsh conditions such as harsh temperatures, lack of oxygen, and various levels of salinity. The Littorina littorea is the only planktotrophic species of the snail genus Littorina, with the other 5 being non-planktrophic species. Due to the fact they are planktotrophic this could show the reason why there is not as much competition due to the fact these snails have a larvae phase (Panova).

The periwrinkle snail is a facultative anaerobe meaning it is capable of switching between using oxygen and fermentation to survive. In order for this adaption to occur there was a metabolic rate depression through reversible protein phosphorylation which reduced overall energy use (Common).

Data Analysis-

Alexander performed many experiments on why periwinkle snails migrate and the patterns they displayed during migration. In this particular test, the snails were persuaded to migrate seaward and tested with different oriental slopes. They previously believed that the origin of the sun may be the cause of periwinkle migration. Researchers created a flat path, so no other variable would be in play.

The results of the experiment led to no direct correlation with the origin of the sun, overcast conditions, or the direction of the slope they faced (Gendron).

Conclusion-

Overall after figuring out that the sun, the weather, and other factors were not the true cause of migration, he found they migrate towards the backwash. He also discovered based on the size of the snail determines its preferred tidal height(in the United States). As the size increased in the snails, the preferred tidal height decreased. However, this does not hold true in Britain, so the only true migrational habit everywhere is that snails vertically migrate towards the oceanic waves.

While temperatures and weather did not have an effect on migration it did have an effect on snail activity. The snails' reproductive period was discovered to be very inactive during the months of November through March throughout the study. Researchers believe this is due to a lower luminous flux and a decrease in temperatures. Due to a lack of activity and reproduction, there was a lack of population growth(Gendron).

These snails are a vital part of the oceanic food web, and thanks to their adaption and ability to overcome many variables not only are they stable food sources for predators, but also help control the abundance of seaweed in our oceans (Summary).

Works Cited(Refrences)

Common Periwinkle Snail | the Storey Lab: Cell and Molecular Responses to Stress. 6 Aug. 2015, www.kenstoreylab.com/animal-models-2/invertebrates-2/periwinkle-snail/. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

Gendron, Robert P. “Habitat Selection and Migratory Behaviour of the Intertidal Gastropod Littorina Littorea (L.).” The Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 46, no. 1, Feb. 1977, p. 79, https://doi.org/10.2307/3948. Accessed 7 Apr. 2019.

Newell, G. E. “The Behaviour of Littorina Littorea (L.) under Natural Conditions and Its Relation to Position on the Shore.” Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, vol. 37, no. 1, 1 Feb. 1958, pp. 229–239, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/abs/behaviour-of-littorina-littorea-l-under-natural-conditions-and-its-relation-to-position-on-the-shore/DFC14262FE98D1848379A9302B022E28, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400014922. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.

Panova, Marina, et al. “Species and Gene Divergence in Littorina Snails Detected by Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization.” BMC Genomics, vol. 15, no. 1, 2014, p. 687, https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-15-687. Accessed 12 May 2022.

“Periwinkle Snail.” Www.exploringnature.org, www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Periwinkle-Snail.

“Summary of Littorina Littorea.” Si.edu, 2013, invasions.si.edu/nemesis/species_summary/70419.

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