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The shells are small to rather large (diameter of base without attachments 19–160 mm; height of shell 21–100 mm), depressed to conical, with narrow to wide, simple to spinose peripheral edge or flange separating spire from base. Aperture large, base broad, rather flattened, often umbilicate. Periostracum very thin or wanting.
Xenophora, commonly called carrier shells, is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier snails or carrier shells. [2] The genus Xenophora is the type genus of the family Xenophoridae.
Yet the layout of the shell is a source of protection in various ways. The unique shell makes it harder to put into a predator's mouth and swallow. Additionally, due to the type of objects glued to the shell, it serves as a method of camouflage amongst any debris. A spire is also attached to the shell of these snails and only adds to its intricacy.
The sun carrier shell, like other snails in the family Xenophoridae, attaches fragments of other materials found in the ocean to its shell, such as gravel, rocks, coral particles, pebbles, or shells of other snails or clams, and this is where the name “carrier shell’ comes from.
Snail's bodies are attached to their shell by a columellar muscle that holds onto the columella, the axis of the snail. This muscle also allows the snail to retract back into its shell. If this muscle is broken, the snail will lose its shell and die. It is hard to detach this muscle in a live snail, or even in a dead snail.
The largest living species is the Giant African Snail or Ghana Tiger Snail (Achatina achatina; Family Achatinidae), which can measure up to 30 cm. [13] [14] The largest land snails of non-tropical Eurasia are endemic Caucasian snails Helix buchi and Helix goderdziana from the south-eastern Black Sea area in Georgia and Turkey; diameter of the ...
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The snails lived mainly in the shallow water in depths of 0–4 cm, mainly between 20–30 cm from the shoreline. [11] They prefer plant detritus or bedrock as a substrate. [11] Laboratory experiments have shown that some larger snails of Radix natalensis can survive on a wooden surface without water for up to 21 days. [8]