Norris' Topsnail on Kelp Bubble

A Norris' Topsnail climbs a gas bladder on giant kelp

It might look like this Norris' topsnail is a bubble dancer. But, he or she is doing the unending task of these snails, climbing a giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), and feeding off the tiny animals that live on its surface. This shot was made looking straight down. These snails usually clamp their shells onto the kelp surface when approached. Perhaps this one was consumed with getting around this particular large kelp bladder. Kelp bladders hold the algae up in the water column. They contain a mixture of gases exuded by the kelp, including carbon dioxide and oxygen.