390 Striped Sea Snail 



Color: Ground color green to reddish brown; lighter or 

 darker dots of same color scattered over body. 

 Distribution: Occurs from Newfoundland to southern New 

 England and as a straggler as far south as New Jersey. 

 Rare south of Cape Cod. 

 Size: Reaches a length of about 5 inches. 

 General Information: North of Cape Cod the Sea Snail 

 has been taken in depths of a few feet down to 300 feet. 

 It is frequently found under stones or attached to seaweed 

 or lobster pots by the sucking disc on the undersurface of 

 the body. Very little is known about the life history of this 

 fish. It is believed to spawn in winter. 

 Economic Importance: None. 



Striped Sea Snail 

 Liparis liparis (Linnaeus) 



Color: Variable; ground color gray, brown, red, or dark 

 green. Longitudinal stripes of lighter or darker shades of 

 the ground color may or may not be present. 

 Distribution: Occurs in the boreal and temperate waters 

 of the North Atlantic. In the American North Atlantic it 

 has been found from Greenland to Virginia but is rare 

 south of Cape Cod. 



Size: Reported to reach a length of 10 inches in Arctic 

 waters but seldom over 5 inches in temperate waters. 

 General Information: The Striped Sea Snail lives on rocky 

 bottoms, usually among masses of attached seaweed (kelp) 

 to which it is frequently found clinging by the ventral suck- 

 ing disc. Spawning occurs in winter and spring. The eggs 

 sink and form sticky bunches which adhere to seaweed 

 and other objects. The main food of this fish appears to be 



