Oyster drill
Scientific name: Ocenebra erinacea
This jagged-shelled sea snail is normally found near its favourite food - oysters!
Species information
Category
Statistics
Length: up to 6cmConservation status
Common
When to see
January to DecemberAbout
Oyster drills are whelks, living below the low tide mark down to depths of 150m. Surprisingly enough, the Oyster drills favourite food is oysters! They feed by boring through the oyster shells with their sharp proboscis.Oyster drills are native but there's an invader on the Kent and Essex coasts... the American oyster drill has been recorded there. This non-native species also feeds on our native oyster beds.