The authors examine the effect of decreased salinity on adult and larval periwinkles Littorina mandshuricaand L. squalidafrom two different habitats, a marine bay and an estuary in Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan. Considerable differences were found in salinity tolerance of adult periwinkles, larval growth and survival, and morphology of the egg capsules. Using the stepwise acclimation method, no genotypic differences were found in salinity tolerance limits of gastropod mollusks from different populations. It is assumed that despite marked physiological differences these populations appear not to be different physiological races.