Nucella emarginata (dogwinkle or short spired purple)

Found in areas 7 to 9 on large rocks mostly at the bottom.

The short spired purple lives in the same area as Nucella lamellosa. These snails have shells that are very different from each other. They can be brown, gray, purple. Some have stripes. Diet can give them orange color.

I saw Nucella emarginata depositing egg cases in January. Short spired purples eat their own egg cases. The eggs in the egg cases are also cannibals. It seems there is only enough yolk in each egg case for one of the three eggs in each case. Normally purples eat barnacles and mussels.