Common Marsh Snail
Melampus bidentatus
Image by Robert Aguilar, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Physical: Marsh Snails are univalves that grow to approximately 1.5 cm. They are top shaped and have dark bands around their white shells. Color variations are common.
Habitat: M. bidentatus are found in marshes along the estuaries of the east coast of the United States. The marshes are primarily intertidal.
Feeding: M. bidentatus are scavengers, and feed on dead or decaying matter in the marsh such as decayed fish and plant matter.
Breeding: The Common Marsh Snails produce egg cases that hatch a few weeks after being fertilized. The young are miniature versions of the adults, and are independent from the time they are hatched.
