Violet Snails
Janthina Janthina

These are tropical travellers. They float on the surface of warm waters using their own buoyancy aid made from bubbles of their mucus.

They are mostly found on waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans and the tropical (including the Caribbean) and sub-tropical areas of the Atlantic ocean.

They don't show up very often on the coasts of the British Isles. And, when they do, they are often broken as their shells are extemely thin and delicate - to help with their ability to float.

The violet snail has a number of names which mostly make reference to their colour - including purple storm snail, and large violet snail or sea-snail.

Violet snails are carnivorous with their favourite meals being other floating travellers By-the-wind sailors and Portuguese Men o' War. For more on these, float over to this page

As floating travellers, violet snails are at the mercy of currents and the wind. Because they cannot swim, if an onshore wind blows them onto the beach, they will strand there and die. Occasionally, this will happen on the coast of the British Isles.

The 'rear' of the shells are generally a much richer colour than the 'front'. 

Violet snails float upside down, with a buoyancy made of bubbles of their own mucus. 

Photo: Rez242

In one weekend on the Isles of Scilly, I found nine shells (seven complete shells and two fragments) on the beaches; one on the western coast of St. Mary's; one on the western coast of Bryher and seven on beaches on the western coast of Tresco.

The shells are much thinner than those of marine molluscs such as periwinkles, for example. The light shell means it floats more easily and can also be pushed around by the wind. 

If you find any violet snail shells, please let me know!