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Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Megagastropoda
Family: Hydrobiidae
Found on fine silty sands and mud Hydrobia spp feed on bacteria, diatoms and detritus. There are 7 known species but due to the difficulty in identifying them to species we will only refer to them by their genus. Hydrobia spp are very small snails that very rarely exceed 5mm in length and can be quite difficult to see as an individual. The first indication that this group is present at all is a granular appearance that a group of individuals give to the surface of an area of mud. Hydrobia spp can be found in very large numbers with up to 60,00 per square metre having been recorded.
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