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Nucella osterina

 THE RACE ROCKS TAXONOMY
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Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gasteropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Genus Nucella
Species canaliculata
Common Name: Northern Striped Dogwinkle
nucella osterina
The habitat of Nucella osterina ( previously Thais emarginata) in the pounding surf zone at Race Rocks.
nucella osterina,Striped Dogwinkle
nucella osterina,Striped Dogwinkle
The phenotype for snail color is often highly variable. These whelks can range from the drab black color of the one to the lower left to the brightly colored orange one. The black background is from an encrusting algae. . We often only see the orange phenotype on vertical intertidal rock surfaces. It could be that this provides a safer habitat for a snail that would have high visibility for predators such as Black Oystercatchers. Here the whelk is itself a predator on a barnacle.
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The Race Rocks Taxonomy
This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students of Lester B. Pearson College
Date:
2005
 Name : Garry Fletcher
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