General Description
Shell white, flattened, elongate oval shape with one straighter end. Shell surrounded by the black muscular foot, which is much larger than the shell. Two black tentacles on the head. Shell up 10 cm long.
Biology
Elephant Snails emerge at night to graze on seaweeds. They were commonly eaten by Aboriginal people, who cut away the black flesh to eat the muscular foot. The black mantle usually partially covers the shell, but when disturbed the snail pulls the mantle back, exposing the shell.
Distribution
New Zealand. Southern mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
In crevices and under boulders on rocky reefs in the intertidal and subtidal zones.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
White oval shell, black foot larger than shell.
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Colours
Black, White
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Habitats
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Diet
Herbivore
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Diet Categories
Seaweed
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, DSE Advisory List: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m)
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Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Montfort, 1810)
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Common Name
Elephant Snail
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Superclass
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Class
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Subclass
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Order
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Superfamily
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Family
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Subfamily
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Genus
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Subgenus
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Species Name
antipodes
