(Rye - The Trondheim fjord / 14 meters / 11.22.2003)

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Subclass: Prosobranchia

Infraclass: Caenogastropoda

Order: Mesogastropoda

Family: Lamellariidae

Scientific name: Velutina velutina

 

Norwegian: sjøpungsnegl

Distribution: The smooth velutina is often found under rocks on sandy or rocky substrate. It is common along the coast of Norway, at least as far north as Trøndelag.

Characteristics: The cap-shaped profile is not as pointed as the Capulus hungaricus. The shell has hardly more than one whorl. The oval-shaped aperture covers approximately 90 percent of the shell length. The smooth velutina lays its eggs in ascidians where they feed on the body fluid of its host.

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