Kingdom Animalia Superfamily Cerithioidea Genus Batillaria Phylum Mollusca | Class Gastropoda Family Batillariidae Scientific name Batillaria attramentaria Rank Species | |
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Similar Batillaria, Batillaria multiformis, Batillaria zonalis, Cerithideopsis californica, Cerithidea rhizophorarum | ||
Batillaria attramentaria sandy gastropod on sand substrate
Batillaria attramentaria, common name the Japanese mud snail, is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Batillariidae. It is a species of sea snail most often found in the salt marshes and mudflats of marine, estuarine, riparian and wetland habitats. Introduced to North America between the 1920s to 1930s via the coasts of Washington and California, the Japanese mud snail became an invasive species notorious for reducing biodiversity by outcompeting the native hornsnail Cerithidea californica.
Contents
Batillaria attramentaria muddy gastropod on sandy substrate
Description
The shell is variable in size and colour. It is acute, 20-30mm tall and with 8-10 whorls.
Distribution
The native range of Batillaria attramentaria extends from the Kuril Islands and southern Sakhalin, Russia, to Hong Kong. It has been introduced into North America, where it now occurs from Boundary Bay, British Columbia, Canada, to Elkhorn Slough, Monterey, California, USA.