Littorina scutulata

The Checkered Periwinkle.

Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Order Mesagastropoda
Family Littorinidae
Genus Littorina
Species scutulata

Description: Largest specimens reach 1 cm high and 1.3 cm long; checkered pattern of white, brown, or bluish black; with the uppermost whorls continuous whitish-gray; shell slightly conical, smooth with five whorls.

Habitat: Found among rocks and pilings where the high tide reaches.

Natural History: It prefers to stay just above the high-tide line, where it feeds by scraping algae off of the rocks. For the most part it is out of the water, needing to wet its gills occasionally. This periwinkle is equipped with an operculum which is a hard bony plate on the tip of its foot. When it withdraws into its shell, it closes the operculum up tight allowing it to conserve moisture.