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Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea)
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Find out here.Edible periwinkle fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
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Edible periwinkle description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Order | Neotaenioglossa |
| Family | Littorinidae |
| Genus | Littorina (1) |
Periwinkles are a large family of gastropod molluscs found on the shore. The edible periwinkle is perhaps the best known species of this family, as it has been collected and eaten for centuries. After boiling, the soft body is ‘winkled out’ from the shell with a pin or a special ‘winkle-picker’ (3). This species is the largest periwinkle found in Britain. It has a dark grey or black conical shell that develops a smooth surface with age. The flattened tentacles bear obvious black bands, a feature which allows young specimens to be identified easily. Males can be distinguished during the breeding season by the presence of a penis on the right side of the body (4).
- Also known as
- common periwinkle.
- Size
- Shell height: up to 30 mm (2)
- Larvae
- Stage in an animal’s lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.
- Sublittoral
- A marine zone between the littoral zone (the shallow zone where light reaches the bed, subject to submersion and exposure by tides) and depths of around 200m.
- National Biodiversity Network Species Dictionary (September, 2003)
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nbn/ - Fish, J.D. and Fish, S. (1989) A student’s guide to the seashore. Unwin Hyman Ltd., London.
- Buczaki, S. (2002) Fauna Britannica. Hamlyn, London.
- Jackson, A. (2002) Littorina littorea. Common periwinkle. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme. [On-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. (November, 2003)
http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Littorinalittorea.htm - view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
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Related species
Edible periwinkle biology
The flat periwinkle grazes on detritus and microorganisms. It also feeds on green seaweeds such as sea lettuce (Ulva lactua) and species of Enteromorpha (2).
Breeding may take place throughout the year, but tends to vary depending on temperature (4). The sexes are separate (individuals are either male or female), and fertilisation occurs internally after copulation (2). Egg laying is timed to coincide with the spring tide; the eggs are laid in the sea in gelatinous capsules that usually contain around three eggs (although up to 9 eggs per capsule has been known) (4). The egg capsules float in the sea and free-swimming ‘veliger’ larvae hatch after a few days. After 6 weeks spent in the ocean, the larvae settle on the shore. The young periwinkles attain sexual maturity at two or three years of age and may live for up to five years (2).
TopEdible periwinkle range
Common on all rocky British coasts, but is absent from the Channel Isles and Isles of Scilly (4). Elsewhere it is found around north-west Europe (2).
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Species with a similar range
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You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. |
Edible periwinkle habitat
This periwinkle is found from the upper shore down to the sublittoral and may also occur on mudflats and in estuaries (2). Large aggregations may arise in more suitable areas, such as rock-pools (4).
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Species found in a similar habitat
Edible periwinkle status
Not threatened (2).
TopEdible periwinkle threats
This species is not threatened.
TopEdible periwinkle conservation
Not relevant.
|
|
There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. |
Find out more
For more on this species see:
Jackson, A. (2002) Littorina littorea. Common periwinkle. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme. [On-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 27/11/2003]. Available on-line at:
http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Littorinalittorea.htm
Authentication
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact: arkive@wildscreen.org.ukTopGlossary
References
More »Related species
This species is featured in:
This is a UK rocky shore species. Visit our habitat page to learn more.
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