Forums SEASHELL-COLLECTOR

We found this on the beach in Okinawa, Japan.  We are trying to find out what it is.  Not sure if it is a sea shell, or somethign else.  Thanks for any help.

<a href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs208.snc1/7516_104535252890575_100000023028720_126604_4947455_n.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs208.snc1/7516_104535252890575_100000023028720_126604_4947455_n.jpg">http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 7455_n.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

<a href="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs228.snc1/7516_104535249557242_100000023028720_126603_891059_n.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs228.snc1/7516_104535249557242_100000023028720_126603_891059_n.jpg">http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 1059_n.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

<a href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs228.snc1/7516_104535246223909_100000023028720_126602_2232290_n.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs228.snc1/7516_104535246223909_100000023028720_126602_2232290_n.jpg">http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak ... 2290_n.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

This is a "cuttlebone", the internal "shell" of a cuttlefish, which is a relative of squid and octopus.  I didn't realize cuttlefish occur in Japan, but apparently so.

<a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/Newsroom/HighRes/ComCuttlefish9.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tnaqua.org/Newsroom/HighRes/ComCuttlefish9.jpg">http://www.tnaqua.org/Newsroom/HighRes/ ... efish9.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-10-03 18:17:01 --</span>

Thank you!  We found 2 of them, the one pictured  and a smaller one.

If you have parrot or you have someone who has parrot(lol) - give it to him. Parrots love these "version" of calcium.

If you do give it to a Parrot beware, it must be thoroughly cleaned first by several soaks in clean, fresh water to remove all traces of seawater and decayed animal. If you do not do this you could make the bird very ill indeed! <img src="images/smiley/cry.gif" alt="" border="0" />
Dave