Thick-Lipped Dogwhelk

Tritia incrassata

Tritia incrassata is a small sea snail characterized by its high spire and rounded body whorl, with a shell height of up to 15 mm. The shell exhibits a variety of colors, including brown, black, yellowish, and orange, often featuring a paler band on the spire and body whorls. The aperture is white and contains a distinctive black blotch inside the siphonal canal, which aids in identification.  This species is found in European waters, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Norway to southern Morocco, including the Canary Islands and the Azores. It inhabits depths from the shoreline down to approximately 100 meters, with most occurrences recorded shallower than 40 meters.  Thick-lipped Dogwhelks typically feed on small invertebrates and are known to inhabit sandy and muddy bottoms, as well as rocky reefs. Their breeding behavior is not detailed in the sources, but like many gastropods, they may engage in some form of external fertilization.  Encountering this species while diving can be intriguing, as divers may spot them on the substrate or among rocky crevices, often camouflaged against their surroundings.