Drupella rugosa (Born, 1778)
33.2mm

Drupella rugosa was very common to abundant on some lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs at Kwajalein Atoll. They were usually found clustered under or on colonies of live coral they were eating.

This group in the next two photos can be seen working along the edge of living table Acorpora coral, with the living portion in the lower part of the photo and grazed, dead coral in the upper. The coral being eaten is in distress, releasing mucus in the hopes of driving the predatory snails away.

With egg masses?

Created 5 October 2017
Updated 17 March 2020

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