What kind of snail is this and what is it doing?

March 11, 2024 6:42 PM

Is this snail dead? Is it riding the current to travel? Its white foot was 1-2 inches long. It was seen yesterday afternoon in the Puget Sound near Seattle, 15-20 ft below the surface.
posted by tylermoody to Pets & Animals (3 answers total)

I don't know the answer to your question, but an AskMe of my own from a few years ago may be of interest to you.
posted by Dr. Wu at 7:37 PM on March 11

Best answer: My Seattle-based marine biologist partner says that's likely a moon snail, and it's likely alive. She says it may be a little small and she's not 100% sure, but she sounds fairly confident!
posted by Dilligas at 9:29 PM on March 11 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I doesn't look dead to me, but I'm no expert. I got dive certification in Hood Canal last year, and the instructors pointed moon snails out to us (they were crawling in the sand). They are large and easy to see in the area, so I guess what I can say is that it's pretty credible that it's a moon snail. My Google search for "moon snail drifting" didn't turn up much, except this short video, which is a bit like yours. This text accompanied the video:

Video of a moon snail that appears to be using its foot to drift with the current across the seafloor.

This clip stood out because it is the only time we've ever seen a moon snail moving any way other than crawling over the seafloor. To us, it almost looks purposeful - the way it has curled its foot doesn't look conducive to trying to right itself or stop itself from drifting. And while it is a short video, the snail seems to be holding its foot in the same position - it's not changing it to go from one position to the other, or drawing it in to its shell.
posted by polecat at 1:50 PM on March 12