Littorina sitkana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Littorina sitkana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily:	Littorinoidea
Family:	Littorinidae
Genus:	Littorina
Species:	L. sitkana
Binomial name
Littorina sitkana Philippi, 1846
Synonyms
Litorina gouldiana Weinkauff, 1882 Litorina sitchana Philippi, 1847 Litorina sitkana (Philippi, 1846) Litorina sitkana var. atkana Dall, 1886 Litorina sulcata Carpenter, 1864 Litorina terebrosa (Montagu, 1803) Litorina terebrosa f. depressior Schrenk, 1867 Litorina terebrosa var. albida Schrenk, 1867 Litorina terebrosa var. fasciata Schrenk, 1867 Litorina terebrosa var. fusca Schrenk, 1867 Litorina terebrosa var. laevigata Schrenk, 1867 Littorina castanea A. Adams & Reeve, 1850 Littorina cincta Gould, 1847 Littorina kurila Middendorff, 1848 Littorina kurila var. costulata Middendorff, 1851 Littorina kurila var. fasciatus Middendorff, 1851 Littorina kurila var. fuscus Middendorff, 1851 Littorina kurila var. griseolacteus Middendorff, 1851 Littorina kurila var. zonatus Middendorff, 1851 Littorina sitchana (Philippi, 1847) Littorina sitchana var. castaneus Middendorff, 1849 Littorina sitchana var. zonatus Middendorff, 1849 Littorina sitchensis Nevill, 1885 Littorina subtenebrosa Middendorff, 1848 Melarhaphe zelandiae Finlay, 1927

The Littorina sitkana is a tiny sea snail that lives in the ocean. It's a type of mollusc called a gastropod, and it belongs to the Littorinidae family, also known as winkles. You can often find these snails in the intertidal zone, which is the area of the coast covered by water at high tide and exposed at low tide. They also live in the splash zone, where waves splash water even at high tide.

About the Littorina sitkana Shell

var. zonata

The shell of the Littorina sitkana snail is quite interesting. It usually has about ten rough, raised lines that spiral around its last main section. These lines are called "ribs." In the spaces between these ribs, you might see very fine, tiny spiral scratches, which are called "microstriae."

Sometimes, these ribs might not be there at all, or they might only appear near the bottom of the shell. This snail looks a lot like another species called Littorina subrotundata. To tell them apart, scientists often look at a special part inside the snail's body called the capsule gland.

Where Littorina sitkana Lives

The Littorina sitkana snail is originally from certain parts of the world. You can find it living along the coasts of Siberia, Japan, and the Pacific coast of North America. Its home range stretches from Alaska all the way down to Oregon.