Marsh Periwinkle Grace

Grace Richards

Mrs. Cook Science

November 15, 2015

Marsh Periwinkle

Littorina irrorata

Domain: Eukaryote

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Order:Neotaenioglossa

Family:Littorinidae

Genus: Littorina

Species:irrorata

The Marsh Periwinkle can be found in low, sheltered tidal marshes from New York to Florida. It has bilateral symmetry, and is about one inch in length, with a spiraling, grooved shell with a slightly pointed spire and brown flecks on the edge of its shell. It has grayish-white to tan coloring. One of its behavioral adaptations is that it avoids predators by climbing up marsh grasses. A structural or functional adaptation is that it uses its gill to get oxygen from the water . Marsh Periwinkles are heterotrophic, and graze on algae, detritus, and marsh grasses. Their predators include blue crabs, mud crabs, and terrapins. One interesting fact about Marsh Periwinkles is that they are sensitive to toxic agents and are used in many toxicology studies.

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