Scientists have found a new snail species in Florida Keys. This newly identified snail has an odd yellow hue and was named based on a popular cocktail in the region.
Margarita Snail
According to the new study, the Margarita snail has a unique citrus color that could help it shoo predators away.
Scientists note that the Margarita snail, along with its lime-green colored cousin, could be distantly related to gastropods that dwell in the land and that frequently live traces of slime in gardens. These have also been nicknamed "worm snails."
Dr. Rüdiger Bieler, the study's lead author, explains that the creatures appear quite cool due to their link with typical free-living snails. However, when their juveniles search for suitable living spots, they end up hunkering down, cementing their shells into the substrate, and permanently stopping their movement.
The shell keeps on growing to become an irregular tube around the actual body of the snail. The creature also hunts by laying over a web of mucus to trap plankton and some detritus.
These odd snails are also particularly small and well-hidden to the point where they remained undiscovered during scuba diving surveys done by Dr. Bieler, as he has spent 40 years studying invertebrates in the Western Atlantic.
Dr. Bieler, who is also the invertebrate curator at Chicago's Field Museum, explains that this newly identified snail species is part of the same marine snail family as the "Spider-Man" snail that is invasive. This Spider-Man snail was described by the same team after it was found at the Vandenberg shipwreck in 2017.
Odd Colors
This newly found snail species were spotted in the National Marine Sanctuary, while a similar lime-green snail was found in Belize. Dr. Bieler explains that several snails are polychromatic, which means that several creatures part of the same species can have various colors. In just one cluster population, one might be gray while one could be orange. Dr. Bieler notes that this mechanism could be possibly employed to confuse fish and not offer a clear target.
The bright yellow Cayo Margarita snail got its name from a popular cocktail, while the lime-green snail was named Cayo galbinus, which means greenish-yellow.
According to Dr. Bieler, these snails have heads with bright colors that pole out of their shells. They think that this could be a warning color, adding that mucus could stop neighbors from nearing the creatures.
He further notes that as global water temperatures go up, some species are capable of handling things better compared to others. These Cayo snails, specifically, have the tendency to live on dead coral pieces. As more corals get killed off, these snails could end up spreading.
Dr. Bieler adds that this novel discover was right under their nose, further expressing that the area explored was one that is heavily touristed. Despite this, they were still able to discover something new.
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