periwinkle, in zoology, any small marine snail belonging to the family Littorinidae (class Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca). Periwinkles are widely distributed shore (littoral) snails, chiefly herbivorous, usually found on rocks, stones, or pilings between high- and low-tide marks; a few are found on mud flats, and some tropical forms are found on the prop roots or mangrove trees. Of the approximately 80 species in the world, 10 are known from the western Atlantic. The common periwinkle, Littorina littorea, is the largest, most common and widespread of the northern species. It may reach a length of 4 centimetres (1 1/2 inches), is usually dark gray, and has a solid spiral (turbinate) shell that readily withstands the buffeting of waves. Widespread along the rocky shores of northern Europe, the common periwinkle was introduced into North America at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in about 1857 and has spread as far south as Maryland. It is very common on the rocky shores of New England and also occurs on shallow muddy bottoms, along the banks of tidal estuaries, and among the roots and blades of marsh grass where the water is only moderately salty.
The breeding habits of periwinkles are quite variable. L. saxatilis, which lives high up on rocks and is often out of water for long periods of time, holds its embryos in a brood sac until the young are fully developed, at which time they emerge as tiny crawling replicas of the adult. L. littorea releases its embryos in transparent, saucer-shaped egg cases, which eventually release veliger larvae. Other species deposit their embryos with gelatinous egg masses onto rocks and other hard substrates.
All species in the Littorinidae are important as a favourite food of many shore birds, particularly ducks.
Certain other marine snails, such as the common northern lacuna (Lacuna vincta), are sometimes called periwinkles. In many sections of the southern United States, the term periwinkle, or pennywinkle, is applied to any small freshwater snail.