What is the name of those bugs on the river bottom?

We always called them periwinkles, but that is not their real name.


my 9 year old son, and I, were looking at them yesterday and I was telling him that when I was a kid, we would use them for bait. but I don't know the name, just curious

What is the name of those bugs on the river bottom?
Periwinkles are snails of the genus Littorina, so it's unlikely they are the bugs on the river bottom. The technical term for bugs on the river bottom is "benthic macroinvertebrates" or "aquatic macroinvertebrates." They're very important indicators of stream health, and as such are often studied. Chances are there's a citizen science or outdoor education program in your area that could teach you and your son a lot about them.


See attached, for example.
Reply:you !!!!
Reply:I think it's a water boatman.
Reply:nasty water bugs
Reply:they're called riverbottombugs.
Reply:bugs on the river bottom, that you can use for bait
Reply:are you talking about leeches?
Reply:The only water critters I know of that are called periwinkles are actually snails found in the shallow muddy waters of the Atlantic. Maybe you could provide a description?
Reply:planktons??
Reply:i always called them periwinkles,,,didnt know there was another name