Catalog Number:
31903
Object/Specimen Description:

This is the shell of a Banded Tulip sea snail. The shell is salmon and cream in coloring with regularly spaced dark brown bands. It is approximately 11 cm long by 4.5 cm wide. Parts of a hermit crab have fallen out of the shell, which can be seen in the inner box. Hermit crabs often take up residence in empty gastropod (snial) shells.

Specimen Count:
1
Collector:
W. Shirey
Locality:
US Southeast (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TN, KY)
Collecting Locality:
North America, United States, Florida
Cabinet:
10
Drawer/Shelf:
05
Upper Level Taxonomy:
Animalia, Mollusca, Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Neogastropoda, Fasciolariidae, Fasciolariinae

The gastropods are the most diverse group of mollusks, and include snails, slugs, limpets, conchs, sea slugs, and others. They typically have a coiled body form with a twisted gut and nervous system. The coiling results in the unusual arrangement of their anus being above their head. Most have a corresponding coiled shell. Coils are added as the gastropod grows, and they tend to get larger, making a cone shape. Some shells are adorned with spines, grooves, or other textures that add strength. Many have a hard flap (operculum) on the foot that can be closed over the shell opening like a trap door. The shape of a gastropod shell often can be used to identify species. A gastropod's shell not only protects it from predation, but also keeps land species (terrestrial) from drying out. Some terrestrial gastropods that live in humid places, such as slugs, have a thin shell or no shell at all.