On the Northwest coast Nucella lamellosa is as variable. It lives from
the intertidal to depths of 100 ft or more. It can grow up to 85mm or
more. Typical specimens are smooth, white and around 40 - 50mm, although
there is such variation that it is hard to say anything is typical. In
one location colors are from purple, brown, orange, yellow and white,
white being the least common. At this location almost all specimens have
large, 15mm, frills. there are banded specimens, though most of these
have brown bands on white. In other locations white and smooth is the
rule. Often small orange specimens can be seen at low tide from a
hundred feet away. We do not find many large orange ones on the beach.
Maybe they are eaten or more likely the color mutes to brown as they get
larger.
 
Nucella emarginata is like this to a lesser extent and only found
intertidaly.
 
Russ
 
 
 
 
> ----------
> From:         Peter Froehlich[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Thursday, February 05, 1998 3:07 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Nucella lapillus
>
> Here is my two cents worth on the atlantic dogwinkle.
>
> In the area where I collect here in south central Maine I find all
> different color variations - yellow, brown, orange and white and
> striped.
> These colorful ones I find in the intertidal zone mostly underneath
> large
> overhanging rocks. Maybe the overhanging rocks help the brightly
> colored
> ones escape predation by gulls? Once you reach the low tide mark
> (irish
> moss territory) and where the coraline starts to coat everything not
> nailed
> down the N lapillus seem to be almost 100% white, a dirty scuffy
> white.
> Also their spires seem to be more elongate then the ones above the
> high
> tide mark.
>
>   I have found more rough or scaled versions also but their occurence
> doesn't seem to correlate in anyway to the amount of wave action the
> location receives (quiet inlets compared to rough headlands).  What
> about
> on the West cost of the US?  Does the occurence of very scaled/frilled
> versions of Nucella lima correlate to environment in anyway?  What
> about
> color variations?
>
> Beth DeHaas
> [log in to unmask]
>