Flamingo Tongue Snail

Description:

Photo take at -40 ft on a Caribbean reef this beautiful snail moves on top of a purple sea fan. It is about 3 cm long and can be observed atached to gorgonians upon which it exclusively feeds. Unlike nudibranchs, flamingo tongue snails have a shell; however, the shell is typically not visible in living animals due to the mantle flesh covering it. When alive, the snail appears yellow-orange with irregular shaped spots ringed in black. However, the mantle can be retracted, exposing the shell. This snail is extremely over-collected and must be protected.

Habitat:

Found on coral reef from Florida all the Caribbean sea to Brazil