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Spiral
melongena
Pugilina cochlidium
Family Melongenidae |
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Spiral Melongena
Pugilina cochlidium
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Hairy
snail:
The shell of a living Spiral melongena is covered with fine hairs.
The hairs trap surrounding sediment so that the snail blends perfectly
into the mud. It is thus rarely spotted although they are relatively
common. When the snail dies, the hairs drop off revealing an orange
shell. The large empty shell is often taken over by a hermit crab.
Spiral food: The Spiral melongena
eats barnacles. It is believed to get to the barnacle by forcing its
long proboscis between the plates that seal the barnacle's shell opening.
Spiral babies: The Spiral melongena
is responsible for the strange yellow zipper-like egg capsules that
are often encountered on rocks and other hard surfaces. The young
hatch as miniature snails with a shell and a foot. |
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Laying eggs
Row of egg capsules
The empty shell is taken over by a hermit crab
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quick
facts
About 10cm, common in the seagrass lagoon and rocky shore
Classification:
Class Gastropoda
Phylum Mollusca |
