Common Name: Mud Whelk

Distribution: Common in estuarine and mangrove areas of the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Endemic to Australia, known from the Torres Strait, along the east coast to eastern Victoria.

Ecological Notes: Locally abundant from mid tide to high tide level in estuaries and mangrove swamps.

Additional Notes: Shell solid and heavy, exterior light to dark brown, deep interior of aperture purple-black, columella and outer lip fawn or white, sometimes edged with black or brown. Abundant species in intertidal mud and estuarine environments, similar to Batillaria australis in shape but growing larger and with purple edging to the aperture. Feeds on detritus in the substrate, grows to 97 mm.

References: The Seashells of New South Wales, Des Beechey, Senior Fellow, Australian Museum, Release 25. Website at https://seashellsofnsw.org.au/Batillariidae/Pages/Pyrazus_ebeninus.htm. Accessed 10/11/2018.