Around the World, there are many sea snail types to eat. They have a marine habitat. Sea snails come in a variety of sizes, hues, and forms. See what sea snails are.
The crown conch, limpet, abalone, Whelk, and Littorina littorea (Prewinkles) are sea snail types you can eat.
Some have venom and sting. Very few are suitable for aquatic or pet use. Carnivores and certain herbivores are among sea snails. They eat plankton, algae, seaweed, and marine creatures for food.
It implies that they have unique qualities. Some can breathe using their gills, while others can use their lungs.
Ocean currents in both temperate and tropical regions of the World are home to these species. Oceans like the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. Sea snails are among the staple food in the World.
Learn more about the various sea snail types.
What are the sea snail types?
These are the sea snails types you need to know;
Common Limpet
They also go by Patella vulgate and are common in Western European streams. They are sea snails that are food and cling to rocks in shallow water.
Abalone
These species are native to Sao Tomé and Principe, consuming algae and plankton as they anchor to the rocks. They are a typical food all across the World.
Whelk
Whelks consume some species of shellfish, making them carnivores.
Buccinum Undatum
These sea snails’ bodies become dry when exposed to air—tossed or dragged onshore by waves from the ocean.
Conus Magus
Conus Magnus is a sea snail that is harmful to humans due to its toxic sting. This species’ poisons contain 50,000 different conotoxins.
Blue Dragon
The blue dragon, or Glaucus atlanticus, belongs to the nudibranchs class. The genus Glaucus contains many blue dragon species relative to one another.
The Bubble Raft Snail
These snails are widespread in warm bodies of water. They migrate in large groups.
Conus Geographus
They belong to the group of predatory snails and are the most venomous.
Littorina littorea (Prewinkles)
In eastern North America and the North Atlantic, this is relatively common.
Atlantic Moon Snail (Neverita Duplicate)
They are the “shark eye.” Their shell is smooth with gray/tan in color.
Crown Conch (Melongena Corona)
They prefer warm and subtropical waters. They are common in Florida’s estuaries and also found in GulMexico.
Fighting Conch (Strombus Alatus)
They are common in South Florida. Their sharp serrated spike attached to their foot is their defense mechanism.
Horse Conch (Triplofusus Giganteus)
In the United States and Florida, they are among the giant sea snail. They live in shallow waters.
Read on to know the most common sea snails.
What is the most common sea snails?
Littorina littorea is the most common sea snail along the North Atlantic coast. The consumption of periwinkles is typical in several parts of Europe.
Even in Europe, they are the subject of commercial fishing. Periwinkles are all over the World. They are a delicacy in most African and Asian cuisines. It’s impressive to see such beautiful seafood.
Their meat is high in protein, low in fat, and full of omega-3 fatty acids. The common periwinkle’s scientific name is Littorina littorea.
They are little edible sea snails with gills and an operculum. Competition has displaced natural species.
It has changed the location and quantity of algae on rocky shores. Rigid substrates are in place of soft sediment environments.
These species’ color is less noticeable, often grayish-white with a red stripe. Tiny saltwater snails are periwinkles. See what sea snails are.
They have oval-shaped shells with sharp points and twisted patterns. Sea snails can only be up to an inch long, between rocks or close to the coast where they are located.
Since they are herbivores, they consume algae and have duller colors.
The feeding habits of periwinkles adjust to the shifting environmental factors. These most prevalent species make for delicious cuisine.
Sea snails come in several edible species. Periwinkles make a delicious appetizer for a summertime seafood feast.
They have meat that is savory, robust, yet delicate. After preparation, they consume them either warm or chilled.
After boiling, the soft body is “winkled out” of the shell using a pin or specialized “winkle-picker.”
There are several omega-3 fatty acids in periwinkles. The body needs this specific class of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
It helps the nervous system’s cellular membranes grow more. It also enhances memory and brain function.
The most significant and widespread of the northern species is the common periwinkle. Learn the sea snail’s name.
What are large sea snails called?
Syrinx aruanus is the name called large sea snails. They are natives of Australia.
Their names are Australian trumpet, fake trumpet, and huge Whelk. They are giant sea snails with an enormous length of 91 cm.
It might be up to 18 kilos. Around 1800 g is the weight of the shell. It is the only species of the Turbinellidae family’s marine gastropod mollusk.
Besides its tasty meat, this species’s enormous shell is essential. The largest species of sea snail in existence is this one.
They have enormous sizes. These snails hunt as hunters, and polychaete worms are what they eat.
For its enormous shell and mouthwatering flesh, their overfishing is on record.
Its highest populations are in the northern part of its geographic area and occur in shallow subtidal sand flats.
They take nourishment from solitary polychaete worms. Large Syrinx is uncommon because they make beautiful ornaments or specimens.
At the same time, young children wash a shore during storms and cyclones in northern Australia.
Embryos grow into juvenile veligers, planktonic trochophore larvae, and developed adults. The females lay large (15 cm) eggs that stick to rocks, shells, or gorgonian corals.
There is no method for these planktonic-stage mollusks to repopulate from other locations. They are vulnerable to local extinction for protection.
The Australian coastline, Southern New Guinea, and Indonesia make up Syrinx’s range. They are present between the intertidal zone and a depth of 50 meters. Learn the name of minor sea snails names.
What are small sea snails called?
Periwinkles are the name called small sea snails. They are members of the Littorinidae family (class Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca).
Small intertidal grazers on algae. Periwinkles of the family Littorinidae inhabit near rocky shorelines in Europe.
It is where their commercial production is highest. They constitute a traditional food source globally. Periwinkles are a type of shore (littoral) snail that is very common. They eat plants.
Their habitats are by the rocks, stones, or piles between high and low tide. On mud flats, a few inhabit.
You can find certain tropical forms on the mangrove trees or prop roots. Littorina littorea has taken over the coast’s areas.
The most exposed regions, from the upper shore into the sublittoral, are exceptions.
The species can tolerate brackish water to some extent. L. Littorea can withstand a variety of water and air temperatures.
They may survive brief anoxic periods. They feed in both damp and submerged intertidal environments.
L. littorea hefty shells shielded them from many predators. Yet, countless fish, crabs, and birds are their main predators.
Periwinkles are either processed as brined or pickled meat. They package and sell as a live product.
There is interest in periwinkle farming in Scotland and France. Their physiology enables them to be moving. See what sea snails are.
It aids them in establishing outside of their natural range. Approximately ten out of 80 species in the World inhabit the Western Atlantic.
Tiny sea snails are periwinkle (Littorina littorea). Read on to check if you can eat raw sea snails.
Can you eat sea snails raw?
Yes, you can eat sea snails raw, but it is not recommended. You have to consider environmental pollution before consuming raw sea snails.
Any sea snail is not suitable for raw consumption due to infection. Heavy metals and parasites are abundant in sea snails.
If eaten raw, these sea snails can infect you. Some parasites, among other things, can lead to edema, inflammation, and brain damage.
It might be lethal if neglected. Cooking your sea snails is an intelligent way to be safe. You cannot identify polluted sea snails as the ocean contains contaminants.
Pollutants may have an impact on the majority of these shellfish. These toxins are dangerous to people.
Since snails, you can cook utilizing several cooking techniques. Regardless of your approach, the flavor and texture will be the greatest.
Why, then, would you endanger your life by consuming them raw? Make sure to stick to the familiar edible sea snails. Avoid approaching anyone unfamiliar with sea snails.
Because some species contain poisonous substances that might be deadly, therefore there have been sporadic reports linking eating raw snails to adverse health outcomes.
The consumption of uncooked sea snails has resulted in parasitic infections. Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasite from sea snails.
The parasite Clonorchis sinesis results from eating raw sea snails.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis could invade the central nervous system and cause meningitis. Clonorchis sinesis lingers and irritates the bile duct.
Bile duct cancer is a risk factor when cooking sea snails before consumption prevents parasites. Any method of cooking them will also prevent other dangerous microorganism infections.
Bilharzia, another name for schistosomiasis, is a condition brought on by parasitic worms. A lot of people around the World are sick due to eating raw food. Find out if this sea snail is fish.
Is sea snails fish?
Sea snails are not fish but shellfish; seafood includes fish and sea snails. Fish and sea snails are both aquatic animals with unique traits.
Fish are vertebrate animals meaning they have cartilage and bones. They have fins and are cold-blooded.
The salty waters of oceans and seas are home to marine fish. Rivers, lakes, and ponds in the interior are home to freshwater fish. Anadromous fish are those that are born in freshwater.
They move to the ocean as adults, then return to the freshwater environment to reproduce. There are thousands of distinct species of fish. They are the most diverse group of vertebrates on the planet.
But sea snails are an invertebrate. These are creatures without bones and are members of the Mollusca family. Mollusks have soft bodies usually protected by a thin, rigid shell of calcium.
Their movements are slow in the ocean as “sea snails with observable outer shells. Sea snails have an unusual head that contains sensory organs. Their outside shell has a spiral shape.
Crustaceans and mollusks/bivalves, like snails, are shellfish. The majority of sea snail species breathe through their gills. But a few species have lungs.
They are intertidal and only come out to play during low tide, when they may float. Some of them have conical shells. Limpet is a common term for them. See what sea snails are
Sea snails are not fish due to these differences. They have a variety of traits and are members of different genera.
Final thought
There are different sea snail types around the World. They have been a food source globally. Some are carnivores, while others are herbivores.
They feed on algae, plants, mollusks, and some dead organisms. There are edible species of sea snails.
Some of them have stings that make them poisonous. Examples are cone snails and blue dragons. Their poisons are harmful to humans.
The most popular species of sea snail is Littorina littorea. They are typical food for people in coastal areas.
Syrinx aruanus is the largest sea snail species, and they are native to Australia. Periwinkle is the smallest species of sea snail in the World.
They are delicious. It is not recommended to eat sea snails raw. It has an adverse impact that can cause you harm.
Sea snails contain parasites and toxins; therefore, play safe by cooking, baking, grilling, or frying sea snail. It will retain taste when cooked.