WhatSpeciesConnect with Nature
What Species is This?
This specimen still needs to be identified
Bright orange organism spotted in a rock crevice during low tide. Could it be some kind of nudibranch? ...
Observer 11 months ago
Common Octopus
Octopus vulgaris
Beautiful octopus hunting for crab in a tidal pool. Watch the short video to witness its cool disappearing act. ...
WhatSpecies Team 3 years ago
Knobbly Dogwhelk
Mancinella capensis
Greyish-brown shell with 3-4 spiral rows of paler tubercles. ...
WhatSpecies Team 3 years ago
Oblique Ark Shell
Barbatia obliquata
Shell has fine radiating ridges, partly covered with soft black fur. ...
WhatSpecies Team 3 years ago
Long-spined limpet
Scutellastra longicosta
Star-shaped shell with 11 long projecting ribs. White interior with black edge. ...
WhatSpecies Team 3 years ago
Venus Ear
Haliotis spadicea
Ear-shaped shell. Blotched, reddish-brown. Shiny mother-of-pearl interior with a red stain beneath spire. ...
WhatSpecies Team 3 years ago
Furry-ridged triton
Cabestana africana
Short, squat, barrel-shaped whelk with six strong grooved ridges. Corrugated outer lip. Feeds on red bait. ...
WhatSpecies Team 3 years ago
Warty Venus
Venus verrucosa
Washed ashore at Stormsriver Mouth restcamp. Sturdy shell with strong concentric ridges and knobs. About 50 mm long. ...
WhatSpecies Team 4 years ago
Scaly Horse-mussel
Atrina squamifera
Beautiful large mussel with fragile, translucent-brown shell with scale-like cusps. About 150mm. First-time sighting for me. ...
WhatSpecies Team 5 years ago
Ram’s Horn Shell
Spirula spirula
Beautiful little spiral shell (about 25mm). The spire is open and comprises a number of chambers. Apparently the live animal is squid-like with eight short arms and two tentacles. ...
WhatSpecies Team 5 years ago
Plough Snail
Bullia digitalis
My daughter called this one the “king of all snails on the beach”. A rather large plough snail compared to the others on the beach – close to 50mm. Hurrying along to feast on the bluebottles being washed up by the wind. ...
WhatSpecies Team 5 years ago
Giant African Land Snail (GALS)
Achatina fulica
Achatina fulica is a species of land snail in the family Achatinidae, known commonly as the giant African snail or giant African land snail. Outside of its native range this snail thrives in many types of habitat in areas with mild ...
Observer 6 years ago
Common garden snail
Cornu aspersum
A one-eyed snail that I spotted roaming about my garden... quite a sad occurrence, but that's just a part of nature. ...
Observer 6 years ago
Spiny Chiton
Acanthochitona garnoti
Spotted during low tide near Arniston cave. About 45m in length. Small tufts of spines along the edges. ...
WhatSpecies Team 6 years ago
Hunter Snail
Gulella sp.
Very small orangy-yellowish snail with bright orange shell, snailing across an earthstar fungus. ...
Adventurer 6 years ago
Marié commented:
Lizzie, I asked Prof Dai Herbert, the Chief Curator: Molusca of the KwaZulu Natal Musem if he could assist with an ID for this observation. Here is his insightful response: These are indeed good photographs. The snail has been correctly identified as a Hunter Snail (Gulella sp), but it is not the Trumpet-mouthed Hunter Snail (Gulella salpinx). There are over 100 species of hunter snail in southern African and they mostly differ in terms of the number and arrangement of so-called ‘teeth’ in the shell opening. To identify the species with any confidence one has to be able to see these features. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the pictures provided so I cannot be certain of the species. However, given the location I suspect it is likely to be Gulella infans or Gulella johannesburgensis, both of which are quite common in Gauteng. Regards Dai Herbert
Marié commented:
What a special find! I think it is a type of Hunter snail (Genus Gulella).
Marié suggested a new ID:
Common name: Huntersnail
Scientific name: Genus Gulella
Cape false-limpet
Siphonaria capensis
Oval shell; Size about 25mm; Approximately 35-40 ribs. ...
WhatSpecies Team 6 years ago
Alikreukel
Turbo sarmaticus
Relatively slow growing mollusc that lives in pools and up to depths of about 8m. There are restrictions on collecting these animals: 5 per day per person; minimum size 63.5mm. ...
WhatSpecies Team 6 years ago
Spiny Chiton
Acanthochitona garnoti
Oval, flattened mollusc. Wide girdle, dotted with tufts of spines. Spotted during low-tide in intertidal zone. Spines can become embedded in skin and cause irritation. ...
WhatSpecies Team 6 years ago
Lemon Slug
Limax tenellus
Bright-yellow slug. Some of them found eating mushrooms. ...
Adventurer 6 years ago
Beaded topshell
Oxystele impervia
Bright orange shell with bead-like dots spiralling around the whorls. About 25mm. ...
WhatSpecies Team 6 years ago
What Species is This?
This specimen still needs to be identified
Large greenish snail observed high up in the mountains. ...
Adventurer 6 years ago
Giant Chiton
Dinoplax gigas
Washed up on the beach. A bit larger than a chicken egg. The outer shell is very hard, while the brownish rim at the bottom is ‘n bit softer. I have no idea what this could be. Any ideas out there? ...
WhatSpecies Team 7 years ago
Explorer suggested a new ID:
Common name: Giant Chiton
Scientific name: Dinoplax gigas
Notes: Branch, GM. et al. (2010) Two Oceans. A guide to marine life of Southern Africa
Plough Snail
Bullia digitalis
These sea snails were feasting on a washed up blue bottle. I need some help with the identification, please. ...
WhatSpecies Team 7 years ago
Explorer suggested a new ID:
Common name: Plough snail
Scientific name: Bullia digitalis