Description: This is a small topshell, which has a blunt, conical shell with a slightly convex, relatively smooth profile. It reaches a height of around 1.5 cm and a diameter of around 1.7 cm. It is light grey to yellow in colour with conspicuous fine purple to red-brown striping. The top of the shell is quite often worn, showing a silvery mother of pearl finish. The opening is oval-shaped and has no tooth.

Habitat: Found intertidally on rocky shores on algae and under boulders. May occur higher up the shore in rockpools. Found sublitorally down to 130 m.

Distribution: Very common around all coasts of Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: Could potentially be confused with some other small gastropods but the grey to yellow colouration with fine purple-red striping should help identify. The shape and profile of the shell is also distinctive. Most similar is possibly Phorcus lineatus, but it has a tooth just to the inside of the shell, or Steromphala umbilicalis.

Key Identification Features:

• Blunt conical shell, with slightly convex profile.
• Profile of shell is relatively smooth.
• Light grey to yellow with fine purple to red-brown striping.

Distribution Map from NBN: Steromphala cineraria at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Steromphala cineraria at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Steromphala cineraria

WoRMS: Steromphala cineraria at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Steromphala cineraria (Linnaeus, 1758). AphiaID: 1039839.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Mollusca; Gastropoda; Vetigastropoda; Trochida; Trochoidea; Trochidae; Cantharidinae; Steromphala