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Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > Family Trochidae
Toothed top shell snail
Monodonta labio
Family Trochidae
updated Aug 10

Where seen? This snail with a tooth in its shell opening is commonly seen on many of our shores. Often in groups on boulders, stones and seawalls. It is more active at night.

Features: 3-3.5cm. The thick shell is an asymmetrical cone decorated by thick, rough, beaded cords. Usually grey or greenish grey. Mono donta means 'one-toothed'. Indeed, there is a single large tooth-shaped structure at the shell opening. The yellow, thin operculum is made of a horn-like material. The flexible operculum allows the animal to withdraw deep into the coils of the shell. Hopefully, safe from prying claws of hungry crabs. The animal has a pair of long tentacles. Its body is brown and the edge of the foot is fringed with long tentacles.

Kusu Island, May 05
Human uses: It is collected as subsistence food by coastal dwellers and the shell is used in shellcraft. In Singapore, foreign workers are sometimes seen collecting them in large numbers from our rocky shores.

Underside

Closeup of shell opening with 'tooth'
and thin operculum.

Toothed top shell snails on Singapore shores


St. John's Island, Aug 05

Brown foot fringed with tentacles.

more photos of toothed top shell snails on Singapore shores
northern shores
southern shores part 1 | part 2

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References

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