Mollusc · gastropod

Hairy vent snail

Alviniconcha spp.

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic Found in 2 oceans

Depth

About 350 to 3,300 m depending on the species

Size

Shell about 2.5 to 10 cm

Diet

Fed mainly by the bacteria that live in its gills

Zone

The sea floor · 200 – 3,500 m

Key facts

• It lives in the hottest and most acidic water of hydrothermal vents.
• Its shell is worn and covered with spikes. Some individuals have almost no shell left.
• One species is named after Joe Strummer, singer of the punk band The Clash, because of its spiky shell and extreme lifestyle.
• Six species are known, from the western Pacific to the ridges of the Indian Ocean.

Verified sources

1. Sci.News, Five new species of spiky sea snails discovered, one named after Joe Strummer
2. Jang et al. 2023, Frontiers in Marine Science, Alviniconcha in the Indian Ocean
3. SeaLifeBase, Alviniconcha strummeri
4. NSF PAR, Genome of the chemosynthetic endosymbiont of Alviniconcha adamantis

In the game: To observe

In the same zone

White vent crabBythograea thermydron Kairei blind crabAustinograea rodriguezensis Atlantic vent eelpoutPachycara thermophilum Long-rostrum shrimpAlvinocaris longirostris Methane musselGigantidas childressi (formerly Bathymodiolus childressi) Centenarian tubewormLamellibrachia luymesi