Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 7932770
Neverita lewisii
neverita lewisiiAlso known as Lewis Moon Snail, Pacific Moon Snail, Western Moon Snail
Lewis's moon snails glide beneath intertidal sands using a massive, fluid-swollen foot that completely obscures their heavy shell. They hunt buried clams by drilling precise circular holes through prey shells using a rasping radula combined with acid secretions. Females leave behind distinct sand collars, binding thousands of microscopic eggs into flexible, rubbery rings on low-tide flats.
MarinePredatoryMollusk
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Pacific Razor Clam
- Butter Clam
- Littleneck Clam
Predators
- Sunflower Sea Star
- Sea Otters
- Glaucous-winged Gull
ThreatsCoastal pollution, habitat degradation, prey depletion
HabitatsSandy and muddy intertidal and subtidal seafloors
Life spanUp to 14 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLittorinimorpha
- FamilyNaticidae
- GenusNeverita
- Speciesneverita lewisii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Sand Collar Spotting: Look for smooth, rubbery ring structures on mudflats, which house thousands of developing eggs.
- Tracking Trails: Follow wide, shallow furrows in wet sand during low tide to locate buried individuals at the trail end.
- Shell Examination: Inspect empty clam shells on the beach for neat, countersunk drill holes made during feeding.
Prey (c) Casey H. Richart, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Predator Jerry Kirkhart from Los Osos, Calif. / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Shell Recycler 
Close Relative (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · cc-by
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