Purple Tegula [Tegula porphyria]
Description
The Purple Tegula is a medium-sized marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tegulidae. Its shell can reach a size of 50 mm and is usually purple, but can also be brown or reddish. The species is found along the Pacific coast of North and Central America, from California to Costa Rica. It lives in rocky intertidal and subtidal zones and feeds on algae.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Mollusks
Mollusca
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Gastropods
Gastropoda
|
| Order |
Vetigastropoda
Vetigastropoda
|
| Family |
Top snails
Trochidae
|
| Genus |
Tegula
Tegula
|