Wrinkled amphissa • Amphissa columbiana
Left photo by Peter Gibbs. Right: wrinkled amphissas apparently scavanging on an urchin carcass. Photo by Jenn Burt.
Identification
This small snail reaches 3 cm long and comes in a variety of colours, including pink, orange, yellow-green, yellow, and brown. Its shell is textured with distinct ribbing running parallel to the central shell axis, as well as thin spiral ridges. The body is white with brown spots. See the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory species page for a detailed description of shell structures.
Habitat & Range
The wrinkled amphissa lives in the intertidal and subtidal to a depth of 30m, along muddy and rocky shorelines. It is found from northern Alaska to southern California.
Similar Species
Wrinkled amphissa can be easily distinguished from the similar-looking but smaller variegated amphissa (Amphissa versicolor) by the direction of the shell ridges. The ridges on the former run parallel to the vertical axis of the shell, while those of the latter run at a noticeable angle to the shell's central axis.
Intriguing Info
This species is a scavenger and can often be found congregating around carcasses.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117643-Amphissa-columbiana
This small snail reaches 3 cm long and comes in a variety of colours, including pink, orange, yellow-green, yellow, and brown. Its shell is textured with distinct ribbing running parallel to the central shell axis, as well as thin spiral ridges. The body is white with brown spots. See the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory species page for a detailed description of shell structures.
Habitat & Range
The wrinkled amphissa lives in the intertidal and subtidal to a depth of 30m, along muddy and rocky shorelines. It is found from northern Alaska to southern California.
Similar Species
Wrinkled amphissa can be easily distinguished from the similar-looking but smaller variegated amphissa (Amphissa versicolor) by the direction of the shell ridges. The ridges on the former run parallel to the vertical axis of the shell, while those of the latter run at a noticeable angle to the shell's central axis.
Intriguing Info
This species is a scavenger and can often be found congregating around carcasses.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117643-Amphissa-columbiana
References
Cowles, D. (2007). Amphissa columbiana Dall, 1916. Invertebrates of the Salish Sea. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Accessed 27/11/2014.
Lamb, A., and Hanby, B. (2005). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest [electronic version]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell, Peter Gibbs, and Brian Starzomski (2014).
Cowles, D. (2007). Amphissa columbiana Dall, 1916. Invertebrates of the Salish Sea. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Accessed 27/11/2014.
Lamb, A., and Hanby, B. (2005). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest [electronic version]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell, Peter Gibbs, and Brian Starzomski (2014).