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| shelled snails text index | photo index |
| Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda |
| Creeper
snails Family Cerithiidae updated Dec 08 Where seen? Tiny creeper snails are common on our shores but often overlooked. They may be found on sandy shores, coral rubble and reefs on many of our shores. Features: 2 2.5cm. Shell long and narrow, distinguished by an upturned siphonal canal at the opening that looks like a little spout. This protects the siphon as the snail hides just beneath the sand. The shell opening is oval, and the operculum is made of a horny material usually brown usually with only a few whorls. What do they eat? Creeper snails are often found in groups of many individuals packed close to one another. They feed on algae and detritus on the sea bottom, often near reefs. Role in the habitat: Should the tiny snail die, the empty shell is often taken over by tiny hermit crabs. Human uses: Some of the prettier species are collected for the shell trade. Status and threats: Traill's creeper (Cerithium trailli) is listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List of the threatened animals of Singapore, as shores where it was originally found have been lost to reclamation. Like other creatures of the intertidal zone, Creeper snails are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. Trampling by careless visitors and over-collection can also have an impact on local populations. |
 Pulau Jong, Jul 06  Shell opening. |
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| Family
Cerithiidae recorded for Singapore from Wee Y.C. and Peter K. L. Ng. 1994. A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore. *from Tan, K. S. & L. M. Chou, 2000. A Guide to the Common Seashells of Singapore. in red are those isted among the threatened animals of Singapore from Davison, G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore.
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Links
References
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Graham Brash, Singapore. 145 pp.|
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