Molluscs - Winks

Periwinkles, Conniwinks and Clusterwinks

Littorinids:

Five of the twelve species, or so, of littorinid molluscs found in Australia, occur along the south-eastern shores of Australia. Normally a tropical genus, only a few species occur commonly on southern temperate shores.

Littorinids are not very distinctive molluscs, and only a few have some sort of sculpture to make them distinctive. In fact it is their plain appearance which assists in identifying the group from other closely related, but more ornately scuptured genera.

Most littorinid molluscs have thick walled, turban-shaped shells, with a fairly simple operculum.

What is distinctive about many of the littorinid species is that many of them live in habitats quite high above the high tide level, only being wetted by sea spray. These species may be considered as living examples of some stages in the invasion of the land by marine snails (Rosewater, 1970, 261). "Littorinid" means that they live in the littoral zone, which means intertidal zone.

In south-eastern Australia you will find three Littorinid species and three Conniwink species. These are:

Littorinids:

• Blue Australwink, Nodilittorina unifasciata
• Tubercled Noddiwink, Nodilittorina pyramidalis
• Dark Littorina, Nodilittorina acutispira

Conniwinks:

• Striped-mouth Conniwink, Bembicium nanum
• Dark-mouth Conniwink, Bembicium melanostoma
• Gold-mouthed Conniwink, Bembicium auratum

Across Victorian and eastern South Australian shores, you will find in addition, the brownish-coloured Checkered Australwink, Nodilittorina praetermissa.

Tubercled Noddiwink, Nodilittorina pyramidalis

Striped-mouth Conniwink, Bembicium nanum

References:

Bennett, I. (1987) W.J. Dakin's classic study: Australian Seashores. p.280-282, Angus & Robertson, Sydney.

Davey, K. (1998) A Photographic Guide to Seashore Life of Australia. p.100-104,New Holland, Sydney.

Edgar, G.J. (1997) Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. p.244, Reed Books, Kew.

Rosewater, J. (1970) The Family Littorinidae in the Indo-Pacific. Pt.1: the subfamily Littorininae. Indo-Pacific Mollusca 2(11) p.5-261.

Wilson, B.R. & Gillett, K. (1979) A field guide to Australian Shells: Prosobranch Gastropods. p.50-53, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Sydney.

Molluscs
Periwinkles,
Conniwinks &
Clusterwinks

Blue Australwink
Tubercled Noddiwink
Striped-mouth Conniwink

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