Northern Moon Snail

The Northern Moon Snail (Euspira heros) is a fairly large snail of Western Atlantic Ocean, occurring frequently along the Connecticut coast in Long Island Sound.

Feeding Habits

E. heros feeds almost exclusively on other mollusks including clams, cockles and mussels. They are supremely adapted for pursuing and attacking these shelled creatures, grasping them tightly and drilling a counter-sunk hole in their shell which allows access to the inner flesh. While combing almost any beach in Connecticut, one can find plenty of washed-up clam and cockle shells with a distinctive counter-sunk hole, indicating that they were killed by E. heros.

Habitat

Occasionally, E. heros can be found in the intertidal zone, dwelling in very shallow water during low tide. However, they tend to be much more common in the subtidal zone where they are unlikely to discovered by terrestrial predators.

Confirmed Locations

I have found E. heros routinely along the shores of Westbrook Harbor in Westbrook, Connecticut. Historically, I recall observing a much greater quantity of these snails in the intertidal zone than can be found in recent times.