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View Full Version : Marine Shell needs ID please

venwu225
04/15/2006, 02:05 AM
Found this animal in LFS, it is obviously predatory.

I attempted to feed the animal an bivalve, which was immediately taken. The shell uses a proboscis to extract tissue from the clam, and favors specifically the abductor muscles, as post feeding examination of the clam reveals the depletion of abductor muscles.

Here are some photos, please help ID, I think it is a frog shell or whelk or some sort, but not sure of the specific species.

http://students.washington.edu/venwu/u1.JPG
http://students.washington.edu/venwu/u2.JPG
http://students.washington.edu/venwu/u3.JPG

Feeding with proboscis on extracted abductor muscles
http://students.washington.edu/venwu/u4.JPG
nts9
04/15/2006, 02:23 PM
looks like a tulip snail

matt, if i can find them, i will consider your offer.
nts9
04/15/2006, 02:26 PM
ive got one around 2" upstairs , btw
venwu225
04/15/2006, 02:44 PM
fantastic thanks, I really hope you find them :D
venwu225
04/15/2006, 09:39 PM
no one knows what this animal is??
EricBrian
04/15/2006, 09:48 PM
Probably a whelk:
http://melevsreef.com/id/whelk.html
venwu225
04/16/2006, 03:00 AM
yes, I agree, but what kind of whelk?
nts9
04/16/2006, 01:35 PM
matt, i still think the photo is of a common tulip snail which is technically a whelk

And to reiterate, I have both a cone snail as well as a tulip snail in my upstairs system
venwu225
04/16/2006, 02:23 PM
http://www.gastropods.com/2/Shell_21062.html

Tulip shells: Fasciolaria tulipa hollisteri

The shell looks very smooth, and there is a projection in the front of the shell that covers the siphon.

The shell doesn't have smooth shell nor that projection.

But there are 200 or so tulip species, so it could be one of them?

I still think it looks like a whelk of some species? :P