ShellsHawaii/ JanjiRarities Facebook....
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Hawaiian Seashells Trivia
This information from the excellent Hawaiian Seashell book written by Mike Severns.
Trivia are often associated with Cowries (Cypraeidae) because of their ovate shells, but their shells differ from those of cowries by being sculptured with intricate currugations. The distinct nature of the corrugated patterns of each trivia species can be used as a key to identify the Hawaiian species. Trivias prey on colonial ascidians which can be found on the undersides of rocks and in cracks in the reef. They feed by inserting their long proboscis into one of the zooids and drawing out natrients. Most of Hawaii's trivia species are common in beach drift, indicating a shallow habitat, though one species is know to live as deep as 100 feet. Trivia species found in Hawaii are very small, not exceeding 5 mm.
Common name: small Trivia
Adult size: 5 mm
Depth 10-50 feet
Learn more about Trivia shells.
Picture by ShellsHawaii.com
Trivia are often associated with Cowries (Cypraeidae) because of their ovate shells, but their shells differ from those of cowries by being sculptured with intricate currugations. The distinct nature of the corrugated patterns of each trivia species can be used as a key to identify the Hawaiian species. Trivias prey on colonial ascidians which can be found on the undersides of rocks and in cracks in the reef. They feed by inserting their long proboscis into one of the zooids and drawing out natrients. Most of Hawaii's trivia species are common in beach drift, indicating a shallow habitat, though one species is know to live as deep as 100 feet. Trivia species found in Hawaii are very small, not exceeding 5 mm.
Common name: small Trivia
Adult size: 5 mm
Depth 10-50 feet
Learn more about Trivia shells.
Picture by ShellsHawaii.com
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Nassarius papillosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
This shell are know as Nassarius Papillosus Linnaeus, 1758 or they called Basket shells.
Characteristic of this group is their long siphon which they wave about as they move accoss the bottom in order to detect prey, which usually consists of decaying animals such as fish and crabs. They also hunt for the source of chemicals given off by living prey such as bivalves.
At night time they are quite active, and the beauty of the remarkably colorful living animals can be seen as they crawl across the bottom.
For more information:
Nassarius papillosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Nassarius papillosus is one of the two largest species of this family at Kwaj, with the largest specimens reaching at least 41.7mm. It is a very common species, often seen on lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs out foraging at night. It can also commonly be found in sand under rocks during the day, or even buried in small pockets of sand collected on the tops of lagoon pinnacles on on the shallow seaward reef. A very active shell, it can move quickly. It appears to be a favorite food of the large textile cone Conus textile, but is often able to escape being eaten by twisting its foot and hopping away from a predatory cone. It is commonly called the "pimpled basket" for obvious reasons.
Its egg capsules are small round balls deposited close together on the undersurfaces of rocks.
Characteristic of this group is their long siphon which they wave about as they move accoss the bottom in order to detect prey, which usually consists of decaying animals such as fish and crabs. They also hunt for the source of chemicals given off by living prey such as bivalves.
At night time they are quite active, and the beauty of the remarkably colorful living animals can be seen as they crawl across the bottom.
For more information:
Nassarius papillosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Nassarius papillosus is one of the two largest species of this family at Kwaj, with the largest specimens reaching at least 41.7mm. It is a very common species, often seen on lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs out foraging at night. It can also commonly be found in sand under rocks during the day, or even buried in small pockets of sand collected on the tops of lagoon pinnacles on on the shallow seaward reef. A very active shell, it can move quickly. It appears to be a favorite food of the large textile cone Conus textile, but is often able to escape being eaten by twisting its foot and hopping away from a predatory cone. It is commonly called the "pimpled basket" for obvious reasons.
Its egg capsules are small round balls deposited close together on the undersurfaces of rocks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)