More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Molluscs of Zihuatanejo
PHYLUM MOLLUSCA
Echinolittorina apicina
-Gastropods (Class Gastropoda)
-Caenogastropods (Subclass Caenogastropoda)
-Order Littorinimorpha
-Periwinkle Snails and Allies (Superfamily Littorinoidea)
-Periwinkle Snails (Family Littorinidae)
-Subfamily Littorininae
-Genus Echinolittorina
-Echinolittorina apicina
At low tide, Periwinkles are usually wedged into crevices and cracks in rocks and even inside the empty shells of dead oysters and barnacles. Small but resilient snails, periwinkles can breathe air so they are among the most common snails seen on the rocks above the high tide line. Periwinkles graze on tiny algae growing as a film over the rocks. Once a year, males find a female for mating. Females lay their eggs in a mucus bundle in tide pools. The larvae hatch and are washed out to sea to grow.
Description
• Echinolittorina apicina is a small marine gastropod, or sea snail, in the periwinkle family, Littorinidae. It has a compact, coiled shell and is adapted to life along wave-washed shores. Like other periwinkles, it feeds primarily on microscopic algae and biofilm scraped from hard surfaces. Shell colour, pattern, and shape can help distinguish it from related species.
Range
• Echinolittorina apicina is native to the tropical eastern Pacific, with records along the Pacific coast of the Americas, including Mexico and parts of Central and South America. It occurs in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• This species inhabits rocky marine shorelines, especially the upper intertidal zone, where rocks are exposed to air for extended periods between high tides. It clings to rock surfaces and crevices, grazing on microscopic algae and organic films. Its small, sturdy shell and ability to tolerate changing moisture and temperature help it survive in this challenging coastal environment.