Unusual seashell or something other ?

[paul monfils]

Under the name "worm shells" fall two quite different groups of animals.  Some such tubes or "shells" are made by actual worms - marine relatives of earthworms.  Others are made by specialized families of mollusks.  This appears to be a molluscan "worm shell", made by an animal in the genus Serpulorbis, in the family Vermetidae.  They grow attached to hard surfaces - rocks, coral, and other shells. I may be able to determine the exact species if you can identify the geographic locality where it was collected.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-10-09 03:02:47 --</span>