Xenophora pallidula (Reeve, 1842) - carrier snail shell, apical view (12.7 cm across), Philippines, modern (latest Holocene). Numerous attached shells are present. Most of the objects that have been picked up by this individual are snail shells, but there are also a few clam shells, and a long worm tube.
The xenophorid snails (a.k.a. carrier snails), especially members of the genus Xenophora, are remarkable in their tendency to pick up other shells, skeletal fragments, rock fragments, or corals (sometimes still alive) from their surrounding environment and cement these objects to their own shells. The result looks like a pile of shells on the seafloor. Often, sponges and serpulid worm tubes are found encrusting the xenophorid shell - they contribute to the illusion that a xenophorid is simply a patch of seafloor. Xenophora carrier shell snails do this as a camouflage defense against predators. Decorator crabs are arthropods that do this as well (storage.montereybayaquarium.org/storage/animals/520x260/d...).
Xenophorids are principally detritivores on unconsolidated, fine-grained to coarse-grained to rubble-bottom substrates.
The gastropods (snails & slugs) are a group of molluscs that occupy marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Most gastropods have a calcareous external shell (the snails). Some lack a shell completely, or have reduced internal shells (the slugs & sea slugs & pteropods). Most members of the Gastropoda are marine. Most marine snails are herbivores (algae grazers) or predators/carnivores.
Some info. from Harasewych & Alcosser (1991) and Hill (1996).
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Orientamento
Normale
Risoluzione orizzontale
72 punti per pollice (dpi)
Risoluzione verticale
72 punti per pollice (dpi)
Software
Adobe Photoshop CS2 Macintosh
Data e ora di modifica del file
14:40, 25 lug 2007
Spazio dei colori
Non calibrato
Larghezza immagine
2 446 px
Altezza immagine
1 927 px
Data e ora di digitalizzazione
10:40, 25 lug 2007
Data in cui i metadata sono stati modificati l'ultima volta