Image: Lynette |
And this one even couples it with a bit of carpentry...
Image: Ria Tan China Moon Snail (Naticarius onca) |
They range hugely in size, from tiny ones with a shell some 1 cm (0.4 in) long to monsters with shells 15 cm (6 in) in length.
It's always best to measure the shell when you're dealing with snails because the fleshy bit can stretch and retract to all sorts of lengths. This is never more true than in Moon Snails!
Image: Ria Tan Zebra Moon Snail (Tanea areolata) |
Image: Lynette Lewis' Moon Snail (Polinices lewisii) |
Image: Ria Tan Oval Moon Snail (Polinices mammilla) |
Strangely enough, most Moon Snails can in fact retract their entire body into their shell and shut the door with an operculum.
Image: Ria Tan Naked Moon Snail (Sinum sp.) |
But for most of them, the shell remains thick and protective even when it looks like there's far too much snail to fit inside.
There are two big reasons why Moon Snails appear so incredibly fleshy.
Image: Nick Hobgood Naticarius orientalis |
The second thing is that, well, Moon Snails are bulging and bursting out of their shell! They absorb sea water to expand their body. If a predator comes around when they're in this state they'll have to release all that water before they can escape into their shell.
Video: Enachtrieb
These strange characteristics allow Moon Snails to burrow beneath the surface of soft substrate. The mantle flaps reduce friction and lets them bulldoze their way through while the weird bulging helps them displace sand and mud.
Moon Snails usually hunt for food at night and hide during the day. When their tummy rumbles they go out and look for something to eat. Usually a tasty bivalve which can't get away fast enough.
When they find it, the Moon Snail wraps itself around the bivalve. Sometimes it will simply stay like this until the bivalve gets tired and opens its shell. Then the Moon Snail can push its proboscis in and feed.
Image: Jerry Kirkhart |
Now, at last, they can get in and eat.
Moon Snails can also do this to other snails and sometimes...
Video: Kanal von Blenniido
Crabs!
It looks like even crabs are finding it difficult to believe that a snail could be a predatory meat-eater. I guess it isn't just me after all!
After all this bulldozing, digging and boring it's time for a gentler craft.
Moon Snails lay thousands of tiny eggs which they embed within a mixture of mucus and sand. When the mucus dries up, you end up with a structure called a sand collar.
Image: Almandine Sand collar full of eggs |
What I really like about the sand collars is they look like a shard of pottery sitting there on the beach. Also, when Moon Snails die their empty shells are a favourite among hermit crabs.
Carpentry, pottery and architecture? Moon Snails are clearly here for all your household needs!
6 comments:
icky! big spreading fleshy bits! :)
'Zebra' for something orange and white and 'oval' for something not even vaugely resembling an oval??? Who comes up with these names?
That said, these are some amazingly pretty snails!
These snails are amazing....and talented
@TexWisGirl: They're melting!
@Esther: I think for some of them it's arguable whether they look even vaguely like a snail! Glad you like their looks so much!
@Porakiya Draekojin: Yeah, they should start some crafting classes!
Most of these pictures look like the aftermath of dropping one from a significant height. SPLAT.
True! Maybe that's why they're such successful hunters. They're basically mimicking corpses!
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