shelled snails text index | photo index
Phylum Mollusca > Order Gastropoda
Photo index of snails on Singapore shores
medium snails (2-5cm) with oval shells


Ovum cowrie
Erronea ovum

Wandering cowrie
Erronea errones

Pear-shaped cowrie
Erronea pyriformis

Graceful cowrie
Purpuradusta gracilis

Saul's cowrie
Palmadusta saulae
2cm. Shell pear-shaped. Upperside various no spots on both ends. Underside with 'teeth' that are tinged yellow or orang. Rocky shores and coral rubble. Commonly seen on our Northern shores. 2-3cm. Shell cylindrical. Upperside various with 1-2 brown slpots at front end. Underside without coloured 'teeth. Rocky shores and coral rubble. Commonly seen on our Northern shores. About 2cm. Shell is pear-shaped. The underside is pale with small dark 'teeth'. Rarely seen. 2.5cm. Shell pear-shaped, brown blotches at the the top, spots on the base. Rarely seen. 2.5cm. Shell cylindrical, brown blotches at the the top, spots on the base. Mantle bright orange. Rarely seen.

Walker's cowrie
Contradusta walkeri

Four-spot cowrie
Eclogavena quadrimaculata

Miliaris cowrie
Erosaria miliaris

Onyx cowrie
Erronea onyx

Money cowrie
Monetaria moneta
2-2.5cm. Shell pear-shaped, broad dark bar across the top. Underside with dark spots, shell opening violet with short, tan 'teeth'. Rarely seen. 2-3cm. Shell cylindrical, with four large triangular brown spots. Black mantle, underside whith with raised 'teeth' not coloured. On coral rubble near reefs. Sometimes seen on our Southern shores. 2.5-3cm. Shell pear-shaped, beige to light brown with white spots all over it, broad white margin around the base. Brown mottled 'hairy' mantle, underside white with raised 'teeth' not colouredl. On rocks among sponges, sea fans, on sand among seagrasses. Commonly seen on our Northern shores, sometimes on our Southern shores. 3-4cm. Shell pear-shaped. Upperside brown to orange often with 2-3 bands of gold. Underside dark with orange 'teeth'. Rocky shores and coral rubble usually near sponges and sea fans. Sometimes seen on our Northern shores. 2-3cm. Shell irregular, hexagonal with delicate ring. Rarely seen.


Bean cowrie
Family Triviidae

Soft coral false cowrie
Family Ovulidae

Abalone
Family Haliotidae
 

Cone snail

Family Conidae
About 1cm. Shell white, oval with regular parallel ridges all around including the upper side. A prominent groove along the length of the upper side, cutting across the ridges. Rarely seen. 1.5-2cm. Shell pear-shaped white. Mantle transparent with irregular brownish blotches. Found on flowery soft corals especially on our Northern shores. 4-7cm. Shell flat ear-like with a spiral of 5-10 small holes. Rocky and rubbly reefs. Sometimes seen on our northern shores.
  5-10cm. Shell heavy, conical like an ice-cream cone. But some have pointed tips or are olive-shaped. Shell opening a narrow slit. Reefs, rocky shores. Live ones rarely seen. HIGHLY DANGEROUS. Do not handle.

Weasel olive snail
Oliva mustelina

Common olive snail
Oliva oliva

Tigerish olive snail
Oliva tigridella

Orange-mouth olive snail
Oliva miniacea

Waved mitre snail
Pterygia undulosa 
2-3.5cm. Shell cylindrical, olive-shaped, conical spire. Smooth shiny beige with dark speckles or blotchy bars. Shell opening purplish brown. Sand bars and sandy areas. Commonly seen on many of our shores. 2-4.5cm. Shell cylindrical, olive-shaped, conical spire. Smooth shiny with a wide range of patterns. Shell opening pinkish. Silty sand near seagrasses. Seldom seen. 2-3.5cm. Shell cylindrical, olive-shaped, conical spire. Smooth shiny beige with darj speckles or blotchy bars. Shell opening purplish brown. Silty sand near seagrasses. Sometimes seen on our Northern shores. 4-5cm. Shell cylindrical, olive-shaped, flattened spire with short tip. Smooth shiny with zig-zag pattern and broad dark spiral. Orange coloured shell opening. Sometimes seen on some Southern shores. 2-3cm. Shell cylindrical, olive-shaped, with fine ridges. Sand among seagrasses. Seen on Changi.

Pythia snail
Phythia
sp.

Mangrove ear snail
Cassidula
sp.

Banded mangrove
ear snail

Cassidula nucleus
   
2-3cm. Shell shaped like a teardrop with a small shell opening with a flared edge. On mangrove leaves and trunks. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 2.5-4cm. Shell thick oval, plain dark with a white rim and white mouth. On mangrove trees. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 2-3cm. Shell thick oval, brown spiralling bands and pinkish violet mouth. On mangrove trees. Sometimes seen in our mangroves.    



photo index of
molluscs on this site
Phylum Mollusca
all molluscs

Class Gastropoda
all snails with shells

tiny <1cm

small 1-2cm
  rocks
elsewhere

medium 2-5cm
oval shell
long shell
  rocks
elsewhere
round shell
  rocks
elsewhere

large 5-8cm

very large >8cm

limpets
& other shapes
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