Adriatic Sea – Snails

There are about 800 species of snails in the Adriatic. They can be found at the very edge of the  coastline, along the shore at shallow depths.

They are mostly not for eating, which is why they are not commercially harvested. Nevertheless, one part of the snails is endangered. The causes are accidental catches in fishing gear and the beauty of their homes, which are often taken out of the sea as a souvenir or for collecting purposes.

Strictly protected species of snails are:

 Zoned miter (Mitra zonata)

The Triton trumpet (Charonia tritonis

Triton hornbill (Charonia lampas)

The giant tun (Tonne galea)

A cowry (Luria lurida)

Pear cowry (Zonaria pyrum)

The dirty cowry  (Erosaria spurca)

The little frog triton (Ranella olearia)

Most famous

Zoned miter (Mitra zonata)

This exceptionally beautiful, rare snail lives in silty or coral sea bottoms at depths greater than 20m. It has an exceptional, long, light brown spindle-shaped shell with a dark rim. It can grow to a length of around 10cm.

The Triton trumpet (Charonia tritonis)

The Triton trumpet is the largest Adriatic snail growing up to 40 cm. It lives at depths of up to 50 m along the entire Adriatic coast, but it is very rare.

The giant tun (Tonne galea)

The hornbill is a large Adriatic snail that weighs up to 1.5 kg. It lives at depths of 10-150 m in the central and southern Adriatic. Unfortunately, it is common to catch them with the fishing trawler.

Penalties prescribed for fishing:

– The Triton trumpet      4.000,00 Kn/ 525,06Euro

– The giant tun             1.000,00 Kn/ 131,26Euro

– Zoned miter              8.000,00 Kn/ 1050,12  Euro