Forums SEASHELL-COLLECTOR › Seashell Collector's Forum › Shell General Discussion v
Question about shells

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Question about shells
06-07-2007, 07:27 PM,
#1
darcy Offline
Super Moderator
******
 		Posts: 2
Threads: 1
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 0
Question about shells
What causes the holes in shells?  I collected shells on a South Carolina beach last week.  Some are solid (halves) and some have a single very uniform hole on one end.  Thanks!
Find
Reply

06-08-2007, 12:41 PM,
#2
darcy Offline
Super Moderator
******
 		Posts: 2
Threads: 1
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation: 0
Question about shells
That makes sense.  Thanks so much for answering my question!! <img src="images/smiley/smile.gif" alt="" border="0" />
Find
Reply
06-08-2007, 03:04 PM,
#3
paul monfils Offline
Super Moderator
******
 		Posts: 1,038
Threads: 24
Joined: Jun 2006
Reputation: 1
Question about shells
Such holes are caused by predatory snails, usually in the family Naticidae (commonly called "moon snails"). These snails regularly feed on bivalve mollusks like clams, mussels and oysters. They use their radula, a sort of tongue covered with tiny toothlike projections, to rasp a hole in the bivalve shell, allowing them to insert their proboscis and feed on the soft parts of the bivalve.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2007-06-18 04:58:20 --</span>
Find
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 3 Guest(s)