Multicoloured topshell

Gibbula multicolor

Molluscs
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth15–19 m
Water temperature15–27 °C
Best monthsJuly
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Georgina Jones · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Gibbula multicolor, common name the multicoloured topshell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Gibbula multicolor”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 2 records
February: 3 records
March: 2 records
April: 13 records
May: 9 records
June: 1 records
July: 64 records
August: 5 records
September: 2 records
October: 18 records
November: 3 records
December: 2 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 15–19 m · Deepest record: 19 m

10–20 m: 2 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 15–27 °C

14–16 °C: 3 records
16–18 °C: 21 records
18–20 °C: 41 records
20–22 °C: 45 records
22–24 °C: 14 records
24–26 °C: 10 records
26–28 °C: 7 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Multicoloured topshell, multicoloured topshell

Other scientific names: Cynisca rufanensis, Gibbula becki, Gibbula biporcata, Gibbula distincta, Gibbula fucata, Gibbula hera, Gibbula lauta, Gibbula ornata, Gibbula polychroma, Gibbula pulchella, Stomatella biporcata, Trochus multicolor

Similar species

Gibbula hisseyiana
Ribbon Monodonta
Austrocochlea constricta
Zebra Snail
Austrocochlea porcata
Banded Kelp Shell
Bankivia fasciata
Cantharidella picturata
Adelaide Top-shell
Chlorodiloma adelaidae

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
183 open-data records from 1904 to 2010.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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