Fauna
Invertebrate

Pink Tower Shell

Phenatoma roseum

Also known as Pink Turrid

Pink tower shells glide across soft seafloor sediments using an extensible foot, searching out buried polychaete worms with chemosensory tentacles. Belonging to the toxoglossan group of predatory snails, they use modified radular teeth to inject paralyzing secretions into small benthic prey. Their slender, rose-flushed spires frequently wash ashore on New Zealand beaches after heavy swells or storm activity.

MarinePredatoryMollusc
Pink Tower Shell reference1 / 3
(c) Sebastian Doak, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPolychaete worms, Sedentary marine worms, Small benthic invertebrates
Predators
  • Bottom-feeding fish
  • Crabs
  • Starfish
ThreatsSeafloor dredging, bottom trawling, siltation
HabitatsSubtidal sand and mud flats, continental shelf bottoms
Life span5–10 years
Classification
  1. FamilyBorsoniidae
  2. SpeciesPhenatoma roseum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Tide line discovery: Search shell drift along exposed sandy beaches after winter storms to find washed-up empty shells.
  • Shell examination: Look for the subtle pinkish-red blush and sharp, multi-whorled spire characteristic of the species.
  • Live handling: Leave living snails submerged in tidal pools or seafloor substrate rather than taking them from the water.
Related species
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