NATICIDAE (Moon Snails)

The sand snails are common in intertidal sand and mud flats, where they plough through the sand or mud, on or just below the surface, leaving a broad trail behind them. They are carnivorous, feeding mainly on bivalves; they drill a small hole by radular action assisted by secretions and suck the tissues out of the prey. (Beechey, seashellsofnsw.org.au)

Flat Sand Snails can be found by their trails ending in a mound, from which the animal can be extracted. On Stradbroke Island they may feed on Eugary.

The shell of Moon Snails is smooth and rounded, and the operculum is present.

The females lay a large number of eggs in characteristic ribbon-like clusters.

Polinices sordidus is a large predatory snail feeding on bivalves and other animals living in the mud.