The habitat of Nucella osterina ( previously Thais emarginata) in the pounding surf zone at Race Rocks.
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gasteropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Genus Nucella
Species canaliculata
Common Name: Northern Striped Dogwinkle
-
- We often only see the orange phenotype on vertical intertidal rock surfaces. It could be that this provides a safer habitat for a snail that would have high visibility for predators such as Black Oystercatchers. Here the whelk is itself a predator on a barnacle.
-
- The phenotype for snail color is often highly variable. These whelks can range from the drab black color of the one to the lower left to the brightly colored orange one. The black background is from an encrusting algae. G. Fletcher photos
Other Members of the Phylum Mollusca at Race Rocks.
| Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File |
 The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. |