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| shelled snails text index | photo index |
| Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda |
| Turban
snails Family Turbinidae updated Dec 08
Where seen? These tough snails are commonly seen on many of our rocky shores including on man-made sea walls. Smaller ones are also found under stones. Turban shells are not as well adapted to dry condictions as the Nerites and Periwinkles, and are thus generally found closer to the low water mark. Features: 3-5cm. The shell does resemble an elegant turban! The shells of are sometimes covered in encrusting lifeforms so that the texture and colours are hidden. Cat's eye: Its operculum is smooth and hemi-spherical (rounded) on the side facing outwards. This possibly makes it difficult for crabs to get a grip and pry out the snail. The shape and markings of the operculum makes it look like a cat's eye so that is what it is sometimes called. Although their shells may appear boring and dull, the living animal can be in bright shades of green or blue. Under the large shell, peep little eyes and long tentacles. Sometimes confused with the Top shell snail (Family Trochidae) has a more pyramidal shell and a thin operculum made of a horn-like material. While the turban shell snail has a shell with more distinct whorls and a thick, chalky operculum. Here's more on how to tell apart turban and top shell snails. What do they eat? Turban shells graze the algae that thrive on the rocks, scraping this off with their radula. Human uses: In other countries, the large Giant green turban snail (Turbo mamoratus) is collected for food and its shell carved into ornaments and jewellery. Status and threats: The Tapestry turban shell (Turbo petholatus) is listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List of the threatened animals of Singapore. It has a smooth, brightly coloured shell in brown, green and yellow fine lines. According to the Singapore Red Data book: "Although never abundant, this species could be found up until the early 1970's but is now extremely rare. It needs to be protected from shell collectors". |
 Dwarf turban snail Labrador, May 05  Tough, rounded operculum Labrador, May 05  Eyes, long tentacles and a proboscis Sentosa, Oct 04 |
The
thick, chalky operculum resembles a cat's eye.
 Two different kinds of turban snails. More easily distinguished by their operculum. Sentosa, Feb 08 |
| Family
Turbinidae 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 listed 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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