Local Diver Shows Tiny ‘Sea Butterfly’ Snail
Environment
Local marine biologist Alan Deidun shared a video sent to him by Anna Degiorgio and Andrew Zammit, showing a little ‘sea butterfly’.
‘This species, possibly a Cavolina sp., belongs to a large group of light marine snails known as ‘sea butterflies’ (pteropods).’
They are known as sea butterflies due to them swimming by flapping ‘what appear to be small ‘wings’.
‘These ‘wings’ are actually ‘parapodia’, winglike flat lobules that protrude between each half of the shell and whose tiny hairs (‘cilia’) create a small current containing food particles towards the animal.’
Did you ever spot one of these?
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