Trochus sea snail

The Trochus sea snail was introduced from New Caledonia and the Vanuatu in 1957 and 1958 to harvest the mother of pearl. This mollusc eats very small algae that it harvests while grazing on coral and rocks. It likes coral heads and coral flats in shallow areas. It is eaten by Polynesians often, which started in 1971 in Tahiti.