Flat Topshell

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Latin name – Gibbula umbilicalis
Size – Up to 1.5cm tall
Habitat – All over the rocky shore

These sea snails look just like the snails that live on land but they can breathe underwater. They feed on algae that grow on rock. There are many other species of topshell that live on our shores including the grey and painted topshell.

Flat topshell

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Flat (or ‘Purple’) Topshells are sea snails that graze algae. They have broad stripes of purple on their shells. They often have a small hole underneath their shell called an ‘umbilicus’. Photo by Ophis.