What is this? Leave your guess in the comments!

Photo Credit: Photo Collection of Dr. James P. McVey, NOAA Sea Grant Program, NOAA Photo Library

What is it?

Image: Jerry Prezioso, NOAA/NEFSC

Gastropods are a group of animals that includes snails, slugs, limpets and sea hares. Many gastropods have a visible shell, although some, like slugs and sea hares, have no shell, or a small, internal remnant of a shell. In gastropods with shells, many are spiraled or coiled, like in the triton shown here.

Speaking of coils, a hint to the Guess the Creature image posted recently is that it is something made by a gastropod. Do you know what it is?

Gastropods move using a muscular foot. With thousands of species of gastropods on the planet, these animals can be found just about everywhere on Earth - both salt and freshwater, and on land.

Do you have a favorite gastropod species?

Learn More:

• Class Gastropoda Profile
• Facts About Gastropods

Image:Dr. Robert Schroeder, NOAA/NMFS/PISC/JIMAR/CRED, NOAA Photo Library

Do you know what is circled in red?

Image: NOAA, Captain Albert E. Theberge, NOAA Corps (ret.)