Identify commonly encountered species by shape and form.
This section is to help identify some of the more common species, frequently encountered around New Zealand.
Click on the group of images most similar to the specimen that you wish to identify.
Continue choosing the most similar group to narrow down your search. Use the text links below to go back or start again.
Loosely or uncoiled snailsVery loosely coiled like a corkscrew, or randomly uncoiled (see arrows in first picture below)
Without a spire or sunkenFlat-topped, without a spire, or sunken down inside the spirals of the snail (see arrow in first picture below)
Blunt or rounded spireLow, rounded spire, not pointed
Angled or pointed spirePointed spire, conical or sharp-sided
Slender, tall-spiredTall-spired, slender shells, without a siphon canal
Key to Geographical Ranges
The symbols K.A.C.F.M.An. are used to indicate the geographical range of the species.
They have been adopted to give an approximation of the range of each species within New Zealand.
K=
Kermadec Islands
A=
Aupourian - Kaipara Harbour, north around North Cape, encompassing the Three Kings Islands and south to East Cape
C=
Cookian - Lower North Island and the northern part of the South Island
F=
Forsterian - Otago, Fiordland and Stewart Island
M=
Moriorian - Chatham Islands, Pitt Island
An=
Antipodean - Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
E =
Endemic
I =
Introduced
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil