Brown Line Paper Bubble
In this photo, the Brown Line Paper Bubble carries eggs along the side of its shell.
| Name: | Brown-Line Paper Bubble |
| Scientific Name: | Hydatina physis |
| Family: | Bubble Snails |
| Scientific Family: | Aplustridae |
| Source: | WoRMS AphiaID 215423 |
| Size: | up to 2 in. |
| Depth Range: | In shallow waters (0 – 15 ft.) |
| Sightings: | Almost never seen |
The Brown-Line Paper Bubble has a thin, fragile, rounded pale shell with narrow black to brown spiral lines. Its head shield and side flaps are pink to purple-red with pale edges. Its oval body can extend well beyond the shell but cannot fully withdraw into it.
The Brown-Line Paper Bubble crawls over sand, seagrass and coral-covered bottoms while searching for polychaete worms. Its long feeding tube reaches into worm tubes. It can swim, camouflage itself and use toxins from its prey for defense.
In the Caribbean, this Bubble Snail is also known as Hydatina vesicaria. The name Hydatina physis follows the Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas book.