Common Atlantic Slippersnail
ExploreInvertebrate
Common Atlantic Slippersnail
crepidula fornicata
The Common Atlantic Slippersnail is a little sea creature that loves to hang out on the ocean floor! It has a unique shell that looks like a tiny slipper, making it a fun find on beach adventures.
Habitat: Commonly found in marine environments along the Atlantic coast.
Appearance
The Common Atlantic Slippersnail has an oval, flattened shell, often off-white, yellow, or light brown. Its most distinctive feature is an internal, shelf-like partition that resembles a small slipper, making it unique from other marine snails.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumMolluscaClassGastropodaOrderLittorinimorphaFamilyCalyptraeidaeGenusCrepidula
Category
InvertebrateRarity
Common
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
Snaps
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Interesting facts
A slippersnail can spend its whole life attached to just one spot.
These snails were accidentally spread worldwide by hitchhiking on oyster shipments.
They can glue themselves tightly to surfaces, making them very hard to remove!
They lay their tiny eggs in protective capsules under their shells!
Special abilities
Ability
Gender Changer
Common Atlantic Slippersnail can change its sex from male to female as it grows, which helps them adapt to group living.
Ability
Living Ladder Builder
Common Atlantic Slippersnail has a strong foot that helps them stick to each other, forming tall, living stacks or chains.
Ability
Water Filterer
Common Atlantic Slippersnail can filter tiny food particles from the water, which helps them find food and keep water clean.
Measurements & details
- Length Mm
- up to 50 mm
- Weight G
- up to 5 g
- Lifespan Years
- up to 10 years
- Number Of Offspring
- up to 20000 g
Diet & Feeding
This snail sips up tiny floating bits of food, like invisible plant soup, right from the water.
Age differences: null
Primary Foods
- Phytoplankton
- Zooplankton larvae
- Detritus
- Suspended organic matter
Foraging Method
- Filter Feeding
Ecological connections
eats
Green crab
Carcinus maenas
A common predator in their habitat.
eats
Common starfish
Asterias rubens
Starfish prey on many shellfish.
depends on
Eastern oyster
Crassostrea virginica
Often attaches to oyster shells for support.
Traits
Social
Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
Filter Feeder
Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.
Herbivorous
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Decomposer
Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Aquatic
Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
Marine
Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life.
Also known as
Atlantic SlippersnailCrepidulaSlippersnail
Collections
Safety
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Common Atlantic Slippersnail?
up to 50 mm
How much does Common Atlantic Slippersnail weigh?
up to 5 g
How long does Common Atlantic Slippersnail live?
up to 10 years
What does Common Atlantic Slippersnail eat?
This snail sips up tiny floating bits of food, like invisible plant soup, right from the water.
Where is Common Atlantic Slippersnail usually found?
Commonly found in marine environments along the Atlantic coast.
How does Common Atlantic Slippersnail hunt?
Filter Feeding
What is the number Of Offspring of Common Atlantic Slippersnail?
up to 20000 g
Snap Map
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