About Amphibola crenata (Gmelin, 1791)
The scientific name of this species is Amphibola crenata (Gmelin, 1791). This species has a thick shell that reaches approximately 20 mm in size. Amphibola crenata is a notable species that appears to represent a transitional form between marine and terrestrial gastropods. It uses its mantle as a lung, so being submerged in seawater is a secondary requirement for it; it is only immersed for no more than one hour during each high tide. It is one of the very few air-breathing marine snails that has both an operculum and a veliger larva. This snail is a detritus or deposit feeder. It extracts bacteria, diatoms, and decomposing organic matter from surface sand. After processing this food, it egests the sand along with a slimy secretion that serves as a nutrient-rich food source for bacteria. Historically, this species was an important food source for Māori people.
