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Violet Snail

Medium marine snails (molluscs) that float around in the open ocean. They have a purple shell that lightens in colour as you move towards the flattened top of the shell. The shell itself is very light weight and they have no operculum (lid). Their flesh is a dark purple or sometime black.

They float around the open oceans upside down, attached to a raft of mucus bubbles that they make.

Size

Up to 30 mm

 Behaviour

Diet

Main food sources are Blue Bottles, By-the-Wind Sailors and small jellyfish.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Marine
  • Species origin: Other
  • Conservation status: Common

  • What to Observe

    Search area for 30 minutes and record the following:

    • Abundant: found easily with little searching

    • Frequent: found with minimal searching

    • Rare: only 1 or 2 individuals found with intensive searching

    • Not found: not present during search

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    • Throughout the year

    Where To Look

    • Australian mainland coastline and Eastern Tasmania
    • They are open ocean dwellers
    • Often found washed up on beaches around the drift line

  • What Else?

    Similar Species

    Violet Snails are unique and are unlikely to be confused with any other shell, due to their size, purple colour and thin shell.
  • Trails: Bellarine Peninsula - Barwon Coast & Ocean Grove Nature Reserve VIC, Cape Conran VIC, Killalea State Park NSW, Randwick Coastal Walkway NSW, Ricketts Point VIC
  • Species Region: Australia