Micromelo undatus
Wavy bubble snail
Philippines · Indo Pacific - South China Sea
- Size
- 30 mm
- Depth
- 0–5 m
- Native range
- Atlantic (Caribbean; neotype from Jamaica). Indo-Pacific records previously under this name now refer to related species.
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Description
A small, colourful bubble snail (Aplustridae) with an external egg-shaped shell. A 2021 revision (Feliciano et al.) restricted M. undatus to the Atlantic and split Indo-Pacific animals formerly under this name into M. guamensis, M. scriptus and the new M. barbarae, so Indo-Pacific records may belong to those species. Feeds on polychaete worms.
Share link: https://seaslugs.org.il/species/micromelo-undatus-phillipines-indo-pacific-south-china-sea/
Identification
Milky white egg-shaped shell with three thin brown spiral bands and arched longitudinal lines between them. Translucent white body densely spotted with white, with a vivid yellow rim on the mantle and foot edges.
Similar species
M. guamensis, M. scriptus and M. barbarae look almost identical and are separated mainly by genetics and anatomy; geography is the best field guide (M. undatus is Atlantic).
Habitat & diet
Habitat
Shallow water: algal turf and rock pools in the lower intertidal, down to about 5 m.
Food
Polychaete worms.