Red-Mouthed Dog Winkle

Stramonita haemastoma

The Red-mouthed Dog Winkle, also known as the red-mouthed rock shell, is a predatory sea snail characterized by its solid, elongate shell, which can vary in size from 22 mm to 120 mm. The shell exhibits fine spiral lines and may have weak axial growth lines, with the last whorls sometimes displaying nodules on the shoulder. Its coloration can range from light grey to yellowish or tan, often mottled or checkered with darker brown, greyish, or orange marks, making it distinct from similar species in its habitat. This species is found in tropical and warm waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean, including regions such as the Caribbean Sea, North Carolina, Florida, Bermuda, and along the Brazilian coast. It typically inhabits depths from the intertidal zone down to 538 meters, with most occurrences recorded shallower than 40 meters. The Red-mouthed Dog Winkle prefers hard substrates, often being found on subtidal rocks and in various marine environments. Feeding primarily on bivalves, barnacles, and limpets, this gastropod employs a unique method of predation by attacking the weaker parts of its prey's shells. It injects proteolytic enzymes and toxins to cause the bivalves to gape, allowing it to consume them. The species exhibits poecilogonony as its reproductive strategy, although specific details about its breeding behavior are not extensively documented.