Atlantic Oyster Drill

Urosalpinx cinerea

The Atlantic oyster drill is a small snail with a knobby, oval-shaped shell that:

• Has a pointed spire, brown spiraling ribs and a thin, flared lip with small teeth.
• Varies in color from gray or purplish to tan or yellowish-white.
• Grows to about 1 inch.

Where does the Atlantic oyster drill live?

Atlantic oyster drills can be found on oyster reefs, rocks, pilings and bay grass beds in the middle to lower Bay.

What does the Atlantic oyster drill eat?

Atlantic oyster drills feed mainly on oysters.

• They drill pin-sized holes in an oyster's shell to reach the soft inside parts.
• They also prey upon barnacles, mussels and other small mollusks that live on pilings, reefs and grass beds.

How does the Atlantic oyster drill reproduce?

Atlantic oyster drills spawn throughout the summer.

• They lay capsule-like eggs, which are held to rocks, reefs or pilings by thin stems.
• Larvae crawl from the eggs within six to eight weeks.

Other facts about the Atlantic oyster drill:

• Atlantic oyster drill predation has seriously impacted oyster beds in parts of the lower Bay. Oyster drills are not as much of a threat to oysters in upper parts of the Bay because they cannot survive in reduced salinities.