Janthina janthina

Taxon-Order: 

click on image for more illustrations

Distribution: 
Worldwide in the warm waters of tropical and temperate seas.
Habitat: 
Just beneath the sea-air interface.
Size: 
30-40 mm
Diet: 
Feeds on jellyfish, Velella velella, Physalia physalis.
Predators: 
Fish, birds, sea turtles, other molluscs and nudibranchs.
Useful Facts or Characters: 

A marine gastropod, commonly called the violet snail or purple snail for its bright color.

Natural History: 

Janthina secretes a bubble filled raft made of mucus to stay afloat at the sea surface.