A PhD candidate at Scripps Oceanography recently came across a rare purple creature on the shores of La Jolla, California called a “bubble raft snail.” Bubble raft snails, also called janthina thanks to their scientific name (Janthina janthina), are marine gastropod mollusks that don’t typically strand on the beaches of southern California. Scientists believe warmer off-shore waters are behind these snails’ sudden appearance on California shores.
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Anya Stajner, the PhD candidate, starred in an Instagram video on Scripps’ account detailing her exciting find. In the video, Stajner shows off the small snail with a beautiful, deep-purple shell.
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“Rare pelagic sea snail alert!” wrote Scripps in its Instagram post. “Recently, Scripps Oceanography PhD candidate Anya Stajner (@planktonprincess) stumbled upon a janthina, a marine gastropod mollusk that packs a purple punch.”
These animals’ nickname, the bubble raft snail, comes from their unique ability to create bubbles that keep them afloat. Since the snails float on the surface of the ocean, their comings and goings depend on wind and water currents. Notably, water temperatures influence water currents.
See the rare purple creature and scientists’ guess about why it washed up in California, here:
Header stock image of Janthina by cturtletrax/Getty Images
