Family Naticidae

The family Naticidae are sand dwellers, mostly living in the lagoon, although a number of species can be found in sand pockets on the seaward reef as well. Some will emerge to crawl on the surface at night, but others stay in the sand, burrowing through it and making trails. They are carnivorous, some species drilling through the shells of bivalves or other gastropods. The family has more species at Kwajalein than we have figured here, but there are several for which we do not yet have living animal photos.


Eunaticina sp. 1

Glyphepithema cf alapapilionis

Mammilla melanostoma


Mammilla simiae


Natica arachnoides

Natica cf arachnoidea


Natica kawamurai


Naticarius cf concinnus

Naticarius onca

Naticarius orientalis

naticid sp.

Notocochlis gualteriana

Notocochlis? sp. 1

Notocochlis? sp. 2

Polinices albumen

Polinices mammilla

Polinices peselephanti

Tanea areolata

Tectonatica violacea

Naticidae sp. 1

Naticidae sp. 2

Naticidae sp. 3

Naticidae sp. 4

Naticidae sp. 6

Naticidae sp. 7

Naticidae sp. 9

Naticidae sp. 10

Naticidae sp. 11

Naticidae sp. 14

Kwajalein Underwater home

All photos are protected by copyright. Please contact uwkwaj@yahoo.com for more information on purchase, use, or redistribution of any photos.