The White Baby Ear, Sinum perspectivum (Say, 1831), is a member of the Moon Snail family Naticidae. As other members of the family do, it feeds on other mollusks, in particular on small clams. This snail’s body is larger than its flattened shell, and the animal is not capable of completely withdrawing into it. The animal spends most of the time burrowed in the sandy bottom and, when fully expanded, its body completely envelops the shell. In addition, to help with burrowing, the White Baby Ear produces copious amounts of slimy mucus. A similar species is the Brown Baby Ear, Sinum maculatum, from which differs from the White Baby Ear mainly by the brown and “less flat” shell.
The White Baby Ear, shell and live animal, from Sanibel. Photos by José H. Leal.
