Help please with Large shell collection

[paul monfils]

Hi Kim. Welcome to the forum! OK, let's see what we can do with these. For reference purposes I am numbering the pictures 1 through 23, starting with the first horizontal row, left to right, then 2nd row left to right, etc. Scientific name, followed by English name ...

1 and 3 - Cypraea arabica, Arabian Cowrie, common on shallow reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region.

2 - This is a badly beachworn Cypraea (Cowrie) shell, too eroded to be certain of the species, probably an immature Cypraea arabica. This is what happens to shells when they get repeatedly rolled about by the waves and eroded by friction with the sand.

4, 5 and 17 - Harpa major, Major Harp Shell, common Indo-Pacific species from water of moderate depths.

6 and 9 - Conus textile, Textile Cone, common Indo-Pacific species. When alive this has a venomous sting, which it uses to kill fish. But it will also use its sting in self-defense, and this species has been known to kill people.

7 and 20 - Terebralia palustris, Mud Creeper, common Indo-Pacific species, lives in intertidal zone, on muddy bottoms, often in mangrove swamps.

8 and 15 - Oliva incrassata, Angled Olive Shell, lives on sand bottoms in shallow to moderately deep water, in West Central America.

10 and 13 - Cypraea argus, Eyed Cowrie, moderately common species from Indo-Pacific reefs.

11 and 21 - Conus leopardus, Leopard Cone, one of the largest species of Cone Shells, shallow to moderately deep water, indo-Pacific region. Like all Cone Shells, this has a venomous sting to kill its prey, but most Cone species, including this one, are not dangerous to humans. The Lettered Cone, Conus litteratus, is very similar, but based on the pictures provided I believe this is Conus leopardus.

12 - This appears to be a ventral view of Cypraea zebra, Zebra Cowrie, which is found from Florida to eastern Central America. A dorsal view would be helpful to confirm the ID though.

14 and 16 - Nautilus pompilius, Chambered Nautilus. This species is very different from all the other pictured shells. All the others are gastropods, that is, snail-type animals which crawl about on the bottom. This one is a cephalopod, which means that the animal that lived in this shell was not a snail, but more closely related to octopus or squid. It didn't crawl on the bottom, but swam through the water and caught fish in its tentacles. It lives in rather deep water.

18 and 22 - Ovula ovum, Common Egg Shell, closely related to the cowrie shells, though in a separate family. Common shallow water Indo-Pacific species.

19 and 23 - Conus marmoreus, Marble Cone, another common shallow water Indo-Pacific Cone Shell.

I think that covers them all.

Regards,
Paul Monfils