Species profile
Common Periwinkle
Littorina littorea
Identify Common Periwinkle (Littorina littorea) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app.
At a glance
Common Periwinkle (Littorina littorea) is a marine snails (periwinkle/cowrie) with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 11,901 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Maine, Nova Scotia, and Massachusetts the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Introduced to North America from Europe, first documented near Halifax, Nova Scotia around 1840.
- Grows to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall, making it the largest North American periwinkle.
- Edible and popular in British cuisine, typically boiled and picked from the shell.
- Survives out of water for several days by tightly sealing its trapdoor-like operculum.
- Can live up to 10 years in the wild.
Where Common Periwinkle are seen
Background
The common periwinkle or winkle (Littorina littorea) is a species of small edible whelk or sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc that has gills and an operculum, and is classified within the family Littorinidae, the periwinkles.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Common Periwinkle article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other marine snails (periwinkle/cowrie) on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Common Periwinkle?
Common Periwinkle (Littorina littorea) is a marine snails (periwinkle/cowrie) with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
What is the scientific name for Common Periwinkle?
Common Periwinkle is Littorina littorea.
Are there fishing rules for Common Periwinkle?
Common Periwinkle does not currently have published fishing rules in CatchRules' curated jurisdictions. Identification, range, and habitat are still tracked above.
How can I identify Common Periwinkle?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Common Periwinkle along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.