|
|
|
|
Predatory Gastropods Bore holes
Did you ever wonder what cause the holes or bore patterns the are often time found in sea shells? No there are not a bunch of drill elves that come out at night and do this just to mess with us, but rather the holes are caused by "Predatory gastropods" you know, snails with a foot. There, that solves a lot doesn't it. A search on these little bugger didn't reveal a lot at least not in lay terms. Apparently there were creatures known as a "Naticid and Muricid Gastropods" in prehistoric times as the bore hole are to be found in fossils, but obviously their cousins still exist today. Place your mouse cursor on the images for a brief description of each.
These Beautiful creature are the cause of the boreholes Predatory gastropod "boreholes" are fairly easily recognized, being sharp-sided and circular in cross section, and generally more than 1 mm in diameter. You will find these hole in many types of shells including bivalves mollusks and brachiopods. The predatory gastropods use radula (a tooth lined tongue) to drill holes in the shells of their prey. The Murex also secretes an acid; the acid is released by turning their foot inside out and then deposited on the shell where it begins to dissolve it. After a few minute they begin to drill out the semi-dissolved material, This continues until it makes it through the hard protective shell of it's next meal. Once they have penetrated the shell it is all over for it's hapless victim. These come in many species and sizes and generally resemble snails and with cone shaped shells. They are to be found throughout all the warmer oceans of the world. Australia alone has 80 known species many of which are found inhabiting the "Great Barrier Reef".
Generally the Drupes are commonly found in shallow water and surf line and can often be found clinging to rocks near shore, and are commonly called "Rock Snails" while on the other hand, Murex are found in deeper water. These predatorial gastropods are blamed in part for the decline in coral reefs. A few feed upon living corals using acid to dissolve the base that the living organism are fastened to.
These
are also related to the "Moon snail" which behaves like the Murex,
using both acid and it's toothed tongue to pierce the shell of it's victim and
the devour it from the inside out. These are generally found in deeper water
like the Murexes. However they are not covered with fancy spikes but are rather
plain like many land snails. The sailor in times of the wooden ships dreaded the "Ship Worm" which was not a worm but also a type of predatorial snail. The little buggers would drill right through the wooden hulls causing the ships to leak constantly. Their land cousins are commonly found throughout the Southern USA. and are commonly called the "carnivorous tree snail" or Euglandina. It is said that these are depleting the vegetarian snails in some locales. The Are actual snail with long slender bodies that prey on other snails. The shape of their body allows them to devour the host snail all the way up inside the shell. Boy what a way to go.
|
|
Click here to make wut2c.com your homepage About wut2.com Advertise with us Link to Us Contact us Report Errors Job Opportunities Legal Copyright
|
Murex and Drupes 
Euglandina