The bladder moon snail is a round, glossy sea snail that hunts clams by drilling a neat hole through their shells. It lives along the coasts of East Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific and isn't found in the United States. In Korea it is eaten in a spicy snail salad called golbaengi-muchim.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A thick, rounded, smooth shell, usually about 2 in (5 cm) across and up to about 3 1/2 in (9 cm), often with a brown patch on the underside. The large foot spreads out over much of the shell.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Sandy beaches
- Mudflats
- Shallow seafloor
- Range
- From the Indian Ocean (including Madagascar, Mozambique, and South Africa) to the western Pacific, including the Yellow Sea, Japan, and Australia. It does not occur in US waters.
- Preferred conditions
- Plows through sand and mud from the into shallow water, often near seagrass.
Behavior
- Diet
- A predator of other mollusks, especially clams.
- Activity
- Most active at night or on cool days.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Lays its eggs in a mass made with sand, shaped like an upside-down cup.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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