# Frilled Dogwinkle (*nucella lamellosa*) The Frilled Dogwinkle is a fun sea snail with a frilly shell! It loves to crawl on rocky shores and can be found in tidal pools. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Rocky coastal areas and tidal pools - **Also known as:** Colorful Dogwinkle, Frilly Snail, Rocky Snail ![Frilled Dogwinkle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Nucella_lamellosa_003.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jan Delsing, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nucella_lamellosa_003.jpg) ## Appearance The Frilled Dogwinkle has a thick, spiral shell adorned with prominent, wavy frills or ridges that can be white, grey, yellow, orange, or brown. Its wide aperture often reveals a yellowish or purplish interior, making it visually distinct from smoother, plainer snails. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Gastropoda - **Order:** Neogastropoda - **Family:** Muricidae - **Genus:** Nucella ## Interesting facts - Female Frilled Dogwinkles lay their eggs in tall, vase-shaped capsules. - Its shell color can vary greatly even within the same tide pool! - Some Frilled Dogwinkles drill and eat as many as three barnacles a day! - They use a ribbon-like tongue, called a radula, covered in tiny teeth to feed. ## Special abilities - **Shell Driller:** Frilled Dogwinkle can drill perfect holes into prey shells because of its radula and acid, helping them access soft bodies inside. - **Sticky Foot Power:** Frilled Dogwinkle has a muscular foot that can create strong suction, allowing it to cling tightly to rocks against powerful waves. - **Purple Defense Ink:** Frilled Dogwinkle can produce a purple dye because of specialized glands, which may deter predators or be a waste product. - **Wave Rider Shell:** Frilled Dogwinkle has a sturdy, ridged shell that helps it withstand crashing waves and protects it from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Weight:** 10 g - **Lifespan:** 5 years - **Average Shell Length:** 4.5 cm ## Diet & Feeding This sea snail munches on tasty barnacles and mussels by drilling through their hard shells. - **Primary Foods:** Barnacles, Mussels, Limpets, Small clams - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Acorn Barnacle (*Balanus glandula*) — Drills shell to consume soft parts. - **Eats:** [Blue Mussel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-mussel) (*Mytilus edulis*) — A primary food source drilled for sustenance. - **Eaten by:** [Ochre Sea Star](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ochre-sea-star) (*Pisaster ochraceus*) — A significant predator in tide pools. - **Eaten by:** Red Rock Crab (*Cancer productus*) — Crushes shells to eat the snail inside. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Invertebrates](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invertebrates) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Frilled Dogwinkle? Compare the overall shape, opening, spiral, ribs, hinge and surface sculpture. Beach shells often lose the colors and sharp edges they had on the living animal, so shape does most of the work. Seashell Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How much does Frilled Dogwinkle weigh? 10 g ### How long does Frilled Dogwinkle live? 5 years ### What does Frilled Dogwinkle eat? This sea snail munches on tasty barnacles and mussels by drilling through their hard shells. ### Where is Frilled Dogwinkle usually found? Rocky coastal areas and tidal pools ### How does Frilled Dogwinkle hunt? Pursuit ### What is the average Shell Length of Frilled Dogwinkle? 4.5 cm ## Where to spot - [Peter Roose Homestead](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/peter-roose-homestead) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Schmitz Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schmitz-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Sandwell Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sandwell-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Myrtle Edwards Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/myrtle-edwards-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Kitsap Memorial State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kitsap-memorial-state-park) — Washington, US · State Park [View all places to see Frilled Dogwinkle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/frilled-dogwinkle) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Frilled Dogwinkle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/frilled-dogwinkle)