Hairy triton

Fusitriton oregonensis

Hairy triton

Fusitriton oregonensis

Other Common Names
Oregon Hairy Triton

Rocky Coast

Other Common Names

Oregon Hairy Triton

At the Aquarium

Rocky Coast

Appearance

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.

Diet

Carnivore: ascidians, urchins, bivalves, sea stars, brittle stars, chitons, abalone, and worms.

Life History

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.

Eastern Pacific: Alaska to California, also occurs in the Western Pacific by Japan.

You might find one these snails or a hermit crab carrying one while tidepooling.

This is the official state seashell of Oregon.

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

Ed Bierman, Fusitriton oregonensis 3, CC BY 2.0
Brante, Antonio. inchesAn alternative mechanism to reduce intracapsular hypoxia in ovicapsules of Fusitriton oregonensis (Gastropoda).inches Marine Biology 149.2 (2006): 269-274.
Global Biotic Interactions
Invertebrates of the Salish Sea
The Marine Detective

Hairy triton

Hairy triton

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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