APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

A-P-H-O-T-O Wildlife Stock Image Library
Steromphala umbilicalis (da Costa, 1778) syn. Gibbula umbilicalis - Flat or Purple top-shell
Scroll down and rollover titles to change screen image or click on title to view image.
Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- shell side view 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- shell underside / mouth 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- group / live animals 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- live animals in rockpool 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- shell 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- shell 2

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- shell mouth 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- shell mouth 2

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- with rule / scale 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- with rule / scale 2

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- juvenile / side view 1

Flat or Purple top shell
Steromphala umbilicalis
syn. Gibbula umbilicalis
- juvenile / underside 1

A common mollusc on rocky shores across the south-west, can be found under stones and amongst weed on the middle and lowershore. Note the juvenile can be quite ridged, as seen in the images above.

Images of species taken at Batten Beach, Plymouth, Devon, 19.01.06; at Chyandour Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall, 25.09.11; and at other locations.

Scientific and European Names: Steromphala umbilicalis, Gibbula umbilicalis, Purple or Flat Topshell, Top shell, Genabelte buckelschnecke, Tolhoren, Gibbule, Peonza plana.

Steromphala umbilicalis syn Gibbula umbilicalis Flat or Purple top shell marine snail images
The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.