Cymbium cucumis Röding, 1798 - cucumber volute snail (apertural view) (public display, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Sanibel Island, Florida, USA)

The gastropods (snails & slugs) are a group of molluscs that occupy marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Most gastropods have a calcareous external shell (the snails). Some lack a shell completely, or have reduced internal shells (the slugs & sea slugs & pteropods). Most members of the Gastropoda are marine. Most marine snails are herbivores (algae grazers) or predators/carnivores.

The cucumber volute snail shown above is part of the West African Province: "The warms waters of the West African coast of the Atlantic possess very unique species, especially in the volute, murex, and margin shell families. The region extends from Morocco to Angola with habitats varying from muddy sand flats to stretches of black basalt rock. People in this area use mollusks extensively for food." [info. from museum signage]

Classification: Animalia, Mollusca, Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Volutidae