Eastern Mud Snail (Tritia obsoleta)
Eastern Mud Snail (Tritia obsoleta)
Common name: mud dog whelk, Eastern mud snail
Scientific name: Tritia obsoleta
Locations: low water mark on muddy bottoms
Seasonality: available year round
Colors: dusky brown with white markings, usually covered in mud
Size: 1/4" - 1/2"
Collected: by hand
Quantity: sold by the each
A group of mud dog whelks grazing in the mud on a sunny day in May. When the picture was taken, there were probably a million whelks grazing together - and making a loud slurping noise in unison.
Tidepool Tim says, “This is the smallest whelk species we supply. They are not native to our cold-water bays here in eastern Maine. I collect them at my in-laws' place in Freeport. They are complete scavengers that like to feed in the muddy bottom or sandy mud area and are omnivorous. We sell a lot of these snails to aquarium enthusiasts cause they help keep their tanks clean sweeping up uneaten food, algae, other dead or dying organisms. They also make a good disposable food source for smaller sea-stars, hermit crabs, and fish.”
