Oceanographer Anya Stajner recently enjoyed a sunset walk along La Jolla Shores Beach when vibrant violet pop caught her eyes.
Her hands and knees came down, and she was surprised to realize that she had stumbled upon a rare sea snail. Janthina Janthina.
These creatures (commonly known as violet snails) differ in the open ocean with their striking purple shell and the delicate bubble rafts they secrete. They are not known for their presence on Southern California beaches.
“When I saw it on the beach, I immediately knew what it was, but I was totally shocked,” said Stajner, a fifth-year doctoral student at the Scripps Oceanography Institute at San Diego. “I would never expect to see one washed up in San Diego. That chance is too slim.”
Violet snails are known for their vibrant tone and their ability to float on the ocean surface due to the resulting bubble raft.
(Anya Stajner.)
J. Janthina It is an upper snail species, which means that these creatures have lived their lives on the ocean surface, not on tidal pools or along the coast. Their bright purple color is considered a form of UV protection that protects them from sun stimulation.
She said Stagena’s discovery marks the first time Scripps researchers have found these violet snails on local beaches in a decade.
J. Janthina Usually found in tropical to tropical oceans. Their sparse sightings along the Southern California coast often coincide with the increasingly warmer offshore waters flowing to the coast.
“The day I found the specimen, the water was very warm,” she said. “I remember when it rushed to my feet, I was like, ‘Wow, it was hot.'”
Janthina Janthina Secrete a bubble raft so that they can float on the surface of the ocean.
(Anya Stajner)
Stajner couldn’t determine whether her findings were related to climate change, but pointed out that it was a question researchers wanted to examine in the future.
“I think this is what we’re looking for,” she said. “If these warm waters continue, we’ll want to see if we have more of these violet snails washing ashore.”
If there are people by the sea J. Janthina In southern California, Stajner urged them to take pictures and send them to Scripps. However, she reminds people that certain beaches, such as the Coast of La Jolla, are designated as “unoccupied areas” and do not allow the public to remove creatures.
Overall, she collected about 10 snails and brought them to the university’s upper invertebrate collection for examination.
Under the microscope, she was able to see thousands of eggs collected in red sacks inside one of the shells. She also carefully observed the delicate purple threads on the outside of the snail shell.
Under a microscope, eggs are visible inside a sea snail found in the sand on the coast of La Jolla.
(Anya Stajner)
J. Janthina Stajner says it usually has a darker purple tone on the top of its shell, making them blend together from the bird’s eye view. Their base is usually a lighter lavender, making it harder for marine predators to spot from below, as they flash with the sunlight on the ocean surface.
These sea snails themselves are also avid predators and feast on free-floating hydrogen-nitrogen vaccines Velella Velella War with the Portuguese. “They’re small, but they’re powerful,” she said.
Stajner said her discovery received public attention, and she was excited about the public attention and hoped it would inspire more people to explore the diverse aquatic organisms along the Southern California coast.
