General Description
Shell white with a short pointed end (spire). Rough ridges around the shell. Shell up to 8 cm long.
Biology
Dog Winkles feed on mussels and barnacles by drilling a hole in the shell, through which they extract the soft body. They can live for 20 years.
Habitat
In crevices on rock platforms and rocky reefs, to depths greater than 10 m.
Reefs
Coastal shores
Distribution guide
Southern Australia.
Species Group
Sea snails and shells › Snails
Depth
Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Water Column
Max Size
8 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Commercial Species
No
Global Dispersal
Native to Australia
Conservation Status
- DSE Advisory List : Not listed
- EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
- IUCN Red List : Not listed
Author
Blair Patullo is Online Producer for marine projects at Museum Victoria.
Cite this page as:
Patullo, B., 2011, Dog Winkle, Dicathais orbita, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 07 Jun 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/10937
