Shark eye
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shark eye | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Neverita duplicata (Say, 1822) |
The shark eye, Neverita duplicata, (previously known as Polynices duplicata), is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Naticidae (the moon snails).
This is a common western Atlantic species.
Contents |
[edit] Distribution
It is found from Massachusetts and other parts of New England, south to Florida and other states on the Gulf of Mexico.
[edit] Habitat
This moon snail is found on sandy shores just below the low tide line. The empty shell is very commonly washed up on beaches.
[edit] Shell description
The shell has a flattened globular shape, and reaches about 88 to 90 mm in maximum dimension. The color of the shell is variable, but is often a greyish brown. The central apex of the shell is often a dark blue in fresh shells, which can make the shell somewhat resemble an eye. On the underside there is a large brown callus which partly blocks the umbilicus of the shell.
[edit] Life habits
The shark eye (like all moon snails) is predatory, feeding mainly on bivalves found buried in the sand. The shark eye drills a neat "countersunk" circular hole through the shell, and then feeds on the soft tissue within.
[edit] References
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashells
- Huelsken, T. et al (2006) Neverita delessertiana (Recluz in Chenu, 1843): a naticid species (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda) distinct from Neverita duplicata (Say, 1822) based on molecular data, morphological characters, and geographical distribution. Zootaxa, 1-25.
