What would you call it?
Grottie-buckie is in John J. Graham's Shetland Dictionary as a "type of cowrie shell (Cypraea europaea)". Throughout Shetland whether the spelling or pronunciation is grottie or groatie (or even gruttie bukie - J. Saxby, early 20th Century Unst author) we would commonly know this small shell and know the name 'cowrie' too which is the common English word for a species in this genus.
On a Facebook post I noticed a discussion of other names used in different areas of Shetland: in Whalsay 'hraan', in North Mavine 'whirlie wheeter' and in Yell 'John o' Grot'. This is a great example that there are often differernt words for the same thing in wir Shetland dialects. On further reserch it is also a good example of the melting pot of language and the complexity in etymology -
The Dictionaries of the Scots language website is an interesting resource. It seems the "John o' Groats buckie" name originated from abundant shells found at John o Groats. Whirlie-wheeter seems to have Scottish origins too and learning this reminded me of the Shetland Scotland migrations esp of the herring indusrty. Another Scottish word in this dictionary for grotties is Kysies, used near Fraserburgh.
Trivia arctica and trivia monacha, trivia means common (trivial), arctica is of the arctic and monacha, solitary.
www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/2083
Thinking about the creature itself, the Marine Life Information Network is a fantastic resourse for finding out about all different kinds of sea life, detailing where the species are found and with photographs. Though the best photograph I have seen is by Billy Arthur on the Shetland Birds and Wildlife Facebook page.
On reproduction; the female moluscs lay flask-shaped egg capsules (approx 800 egggs) in holes that they have eaten out of ascidians (sea squirt).
Prefered ascidian prey: botryllus schlosseri, botrylloides leachi, diplosoma listerianum.
plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/782/1/The_British_species_of_trivia_T_
The Plymouth Marine Science Electronic Archive, has an article with line drawings of the free swimming trivia acrtica and monacha larvae, reproductions of which I used in the Seashore Explorer booklet floating around the molusc.