Black turban snail

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Black turban snail
Photos by Mary Jo Adams
Beach Watchers, Washington State University
Education. Research. Stewardship.

This snail feeds on soft algae including Macrocystis and Nereocystis. In turn, it is preyed on by red rock crabs (Cancer productus), purple sea stars (Pisaster ochraceous), and sea otters (Enhydra lutris). The black turban snail sometimes hosts a black limpet (Lottia asmi) or slipper snail (Crepidula adunca) which hitchhike along on its shell.

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