Eastern Mud Snail (Tritia obsoleta)

Eastern Mud Snail (Tritia obsoleta)

from $40.00

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

per pack:

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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. — 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.”