Peter Froehlich wrote:
>
> 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]
Hi Beth and all,
The "Symptoms" you describe for Nucella colors for different habitats,
could well be the result of "you are what you eat"
 
Constantine.