Mud-flat

Amphibola crenata (titiko in the Māori language or mud-flat snail in English) is a species of air breathing snail with an operculum, a pulmonate gastropod mollusc which lives in a habitat that is intermediate between the land and the sea, not entirely terrestrial and not entirely marine. It is the only member of its genus, Amphibola. [2 ]

This is not a true land snail, but it is also not a true sea snail. Unlike almost all other snails that have opercula, this species breathes air. It is common in New Zealand.[3 ]

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Contents
[hide] *1 Description
 * 2 Ecology
 * 2.1 Feeding habits
 * 3 Human use
 * 4 References
 * 5 External links
 * }

[edit] Description
The thick shell of this species is about 20 mm in size. Amphibola crenata on mud near mangroves, New Zealand, with incoming tide==[edit] Ecology== Amphibola crenata is a curiosity, as it seems to represent a transitional state between marine and terrestrial gastropods. The mantle is employed as a lung, and therefore immersion of the animal in sea water is of secondary importance, and occurs for not more than an hour at each high tide.
 * A shell of Amphibola crenata
 * A shell of Amphibola crenata, underside view

This is one of very few air-breathing marine snails with an operculum and a veliger larva.

[edit] Feeding habits
This snail is a detritus or deposit feeder. It extracts bacteria, diatoms and decomposing matter from the surface sand. It egests the sand and a slimy secretion that is a rich source of food for bacteria.

[edit] Human use
In the past this species was an important food for the Māori.