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| slugs text index | photo index |
| Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > sea slugs > Order Cephalaspidea |
| Mangrove
bubble-shell snail Haminoea sp. Family Haminoeidae updated Mar 11 Where seen? This small nondescript snail is sometimes seen near mangroves or in silty parts of seagrass areas on some of our shores. Often seen in groups, it is more active at night. Features: About 1cm. Shell thin and oval, usually a dull colour. The body of the snail can expand to be much larger than the shell. Some release a sticky purple secretion when disturbed. Like other headshield snails (Order Cephalaspidea) it has a shield over the front of the body which is used to plough through the sediments. It has a pair of wing-like extensions of the body (called parapodia) which envelope the shell. It lacks tentacles and an operculum. What does it eat? It grazes on algae growing on mangrove mud, usually feeding in shady parts of the mangrove forest. Human uses: Some bubble-shell snails are eaten, preserved in soya sauce and fermented bean paste. The Malay name for a Haminoea species is Siput Bawang or Onion snail. Status and threats: Our bubble-shell snails are not listed among the threatened animals of Singapore. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. |
 Chek Jawa, Feb 07  Underside. |
 Releasing purple secretion. Chek Jawa, Feb 07 |
 Chek Jawa, Jun 04 |
 Underside. |
Mangrove bubble shell snails on Singapore shores
 Chek Jawa, Apr 08  |
 Chek Jawa, Apr 08  |
 Chek Jawa, Apr 08  |
 Pulau Semakau, Sep 05 |
 Underside of a pair of bubble shell snails. Pulau Semakau, Sep 05 |
 East Coast, Aug 09 |
 Chek Jawa, Oct 10 |
 Chek Jawa, Apr 08 |
 Pasir Ris, Dec 08 |
 Pasir Ris Park, Aug 11 |
Links
References
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IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 321 pp.|
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