These large snails can reach lengths of 5.9 inches and are named for the bristly hairs extending from their shell. The shell has 5-6 whorls. At the opening is the operculum, a hard brown structure made of keratin, which acts like a door.
Habitat
Very low intertidal to subtidal depths of 591 feet, usually on rocky bottoms.
This snail has separate sexes, which spawn in shallow waters. A female may take 2 weeks to lay her clutch of eggs. The egg mass is laid in a large spiral of small cube-shaped capsules, called sea corn, because each capsule resembles a blue-hued transparent corn cob. Within each capsule there are 1,600-2,000 eggs. It takes 7-8 weeks for veliger larvae to hatch.
IUCN Status
Not Evaluated
Ecosystem & Cultural Importance
The Oregon hairy triton is eaten by a wide range of predators including Pacific cod, Pacific halibut, Pacific sleeper sharks, red and green sea urchins, sunflower stars, and short-tailed shearwaters.
This carnivorous snail has biting jaws and a radula. It produces sulfuric acid in its salivary glands, which may help it to bore through the shells of prey using its radula. It also secretes an anesthetic from its proboscis which helps subdue prey.
After the Oregon hairy triton dies, its shell may be taken over by a large hermit crab.
Citations & Other Resources
Brante, Antonio. inchesAn alternative mechanism to reduce intracapsular hypoxia in ovicapsules of Fusitriton oregonensis (Gastropoda).inches Marine Biology 149.2 (2006): 269-274.
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