Species profile
Eastern Mudsnail
Ilyanassa obsoleta
Identify Eastern Mudsnail (Ilyanassa obsoleta) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app.
At a glance
Eastern Mudsnail (Ilyanassa obsoleta) is a marine snail present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.
Confirmed by 4,086 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with New York, California, and Massachusetts the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Native to the Atlantic Coast, it has become an invasive species along the Pacific Coast.
- Dense colonies can pack thousands of individuals into a single square meter of mudflat.
- Shells typically grow to about one inch long, with a tightly coiled spiral shape.
- Scavenges on dead organic matter and algae, helping clean up estuarine mudflats.
- Serves as an intermediate host for multiple species of parasitic trematode flatworms.
Where Eastern Mudsnail are seen
Background
The eastern mudsnail, Tritia obsoleta, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails. This species was previously known as Ilyanassa obsoleta.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Eastern Mudsnail article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other marine snails (whelk/conch) on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Eastern Mudsnail?
Eastern Mudsnail (Ilyanassa obsoleta) is a marine snail present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.
What is the scientific name for Eastern Mudsnail?
Eastern Mudsnail is Ilyanassa obsoleta.
Are there fishing rules for Eastern Mudsnail?
Eastern Mudsnail does not currently have published fishing rules in CatchRules' curated jurisdictions. Identification, range, and habitat are still tracked above.
How can I identify Eastern Mudsnail?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Eastern Mudsnail 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.