The Shell Seeker
Weekly newspaper column sponsored by the Museum and published in Sanibel’s The Islander.
November 9, 2009
The Florida spiny jewelbox (Arcinella cornuta) is a bivalve. Like most bivalves, it is a filter feeder, feasting on organic particles strained from the sea.
July 11, 2009
If we posed the question “Where do mollusks live,” for most interviewees the first habitat that would come to mind is the beach, but many species of mollusks call other environments, like mangrove forests/swamps, home.
April 10, 2009
Shell patterns are fascinating. The unique wavy reddish-brown lines and four rows of arrow-shaped spots of the Natica canrena or colorful moon snail make it fairly easy to identify
December 14, 2008
Not surprisingly, cone shells are named for their conical shape, similar to the bottom of an ice cream cone.
October 25, 2008
September 26, 2008
Elegance and sculpture are the two words that first come to mind when thinking about murex shells
September 4, 2008
Did you ever notice that if you hold a spiraled shell like a banded tulip, pear whelk, true tulip, or fig shell with the pointed end down, the opening is on the right side of the shell? In Florida, with the exception of one species, almost all spiraled shells are right-handed shells. Finding a left-handed specimen would be considered a “freak” occurrence. For a Florida sheller this would be a very special find.
August 16, 2008
The Atlantic coquina, a type of wedge clam, can be discovered on beaches in the southeastern United States.
August 4, 2008
Hermit crabs look a bit like cartoon characters with their bright beady little eyes perched on stalks and long feelers used for groping and investigating objects in a seemingly random manner.
July 25, 2008
Delicate beauty best describes one of the more commonly recognized shells, the angel wing. Did you ever wonder why you don’t find a “hinged” specimen on the beach?
June 6, 2008
When the moon is full squids become “moonstruck,” swimming very quickly in the direction of the light, despite the fact that they can’t see where they are going.
April 26, 2008
Conch shells are gastropods, or shells with one part. The shell of most conch species is thick. Conchs have enlarged body whorls, and a thick outer lip that extends away from the body of the shell. The operculum or trap door used to protect the animal inside, is shaped like a claw and does not close completely.
April 15, 2008
Have you ever wondered what a mollusk eats for dinner? Mollusks eat many different types of food. Mollusks that eat plants are herbivores, mollusks that eat animals are carnivores, mollusks that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores, and mollusks that feast on decomposing material are known as detrivores.
March 14, 2008
A recent survey revealed the two most common reasons travelers choose Southwest Florida as a destination are beaches and shells. With a map in hand the beaches are easy to locate but where’s the map for finding shells and why is Sanibel “a little piece of heaven” for shell seekers?
February 27, 2008
It may not say meow but it certainly does resemble a kitten’s paw. Plicatula gibbosa, is the scientific name for a kitten’s or cat’s