During my frequent observations of goings-on relevant to mangroves, I never before noticed
any creatures as small as Mangrove Periwinkle snail fresh arrivals. These seem to be in their pediveliger phase, about as tiny as our eyes can detect. I’d say, at least 7 times smaller
than the red ant scavenging for edibles on the adult snail’s shell. Some types of Periwinkle
snails retain their eggs until ready to hatch. Others release them sooner in their planktonic
larvae state. The few dozen we get to see here are on their way down from the mother ship
to the roots and eventually the water where the everyday survival lottery awaits them. Few
will make it. Even during the current trek some might get snatched by lurking Brown Anoles.