Sea Snails and Sea Slugs

Edible periwinkles are a common sight when rockpooling and can be found in huge numbers on the shore.

These little sea snails are found amongst the seaweed on rocky shores around much of the UK. They come in lots of different colours,…

The thick topshell is a common sight on rocky shores in Wales and South West England.

If you’ve ever been rockpooling, you’ve probably seen a limpet or two! Their cone-shaped shells clamp onto rocks until the tide comes in…

Found on rocky shores and seabeds, the Keyhole limpet gets its name from the little hole at the tip of its shell.

A small, but feisty scavenger, this carnivorous sea snail does not let anything go to waste!

A large colourful sea slug found on rocky shores around the UK.

The sea hare looks like a sea slug – but in fact has an internal shell. They can be up to 20cm long but are usually much shorter.

The beautiful pink and white bands of a Painted topshell make it easy to see where this little sea snail got its name!

Found on rocky shores around the UK, Chitons are a kind of mollusc identifiable by their characteristic coat-of-mail shells.

A small colourful sea slug that can be found grazing on sea mats on the rocky shore and beyond the low water mark.

The kingfisher blue stripes of a blue-rayed limpet are a magical sight whilst rockpooling - you'll need to go on a very low tide…

One of the UK’s smallest and most delicate sea snails and an absolute favourite find for avid shell collectors when washed upon the…

This small sea snail is easily identifiable by the 3 brown spots on the top of its shell.

This is a predominantly subtidal species but can be found on the lowest parts of a sheltered rocky shore in summer.

This sea snail is abundant on rocky shores around the UK. It is an active predator, feasting on mussels and barnacles before retreating…

Nudibranchs, also known as sea slugs, are much like their land-based relatives that you may spot in your garden. But, unlike your…

These non-native limpets arrived from America in the 19th century and are now widespread in the UK. They form stacks and have a…

The common whelk is the largest sea snail found in UK seas, though you're more likely to find the dry balls of empty whelk egg…