Common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)
It’s hard to take a trip to a rocky coastline in New England without noticing hundreds of common periwinkles (Littorina littorea). Despite the name “common”, these gastropods are not actually native to New England. They were introduced in the mid-19th century, likely through ballast water in ships from Europe (its native range). Since then, the common periwinkle has become well established in eastern North America and is now the most common marine snail along our coastline. Although most abundant on…