The Spotted Slipper Snail, Crepidula maculosa Conrad, 1846, is the most colorful species among the six local species of Slipper Snails (family Calyptraeidae). Slipper Snails are unusual in their feeding habits in that they are filter-feeding gastropods (filtering the water to retain micro-algae is the common type of feeding in bivalves, but rare among gastropods). The Spotted Slipper Snail may grow to about 1.5 inches, and has its white shell ornamented with brownish streaks and a pure white, shelf-like internal septum. The septum separates the vital organs of the snail from its head and foot.
The Spotted Slipper Snail, Crepidula maculosa, from Sanibel Island. Photo by José H. Leal.