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Calliostoma ligatum (Blue topsnail)
Copyright ©
2005 Mary Jo Adams
The
blue topsnail can be found in kelp beds and low in the intertidal
of rocky areas where kelp grows offshore. The shell has brown
or white spiral ridges with pink-brown furrows between the ridges.
It may seem odd that this animal is called the blue topsnail,
however when the top layer of shell wears away, a pearly blue layer
becomes evident, thus the name. Calliostoma is primarily
an herbivore, consuming diatoms, and other plant material but also
feeds on detritus and low growing animals such as ascidians and
bryozoans.
This page was created by Mary Jo Adams on 1/18/06.
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