Although this shell had washed up on the beach, Boreal Wentletraps (Opalia wroblewskyi, formerly Opalia borealis, formerly Opalia chacei) are often associated with their prey —
Giant Green Anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica).
Here's another view, this time from below:
Boreal Wentletraps reach a maximum size of ~35 mm long, so keep an eye open for these beautiful turreted shells.
P.S. There's a bonus snail in these photos. Near the top edge, there are two very small reddish-brown snails. They're actually adult snails (that's about as big a they get!). Say hello to Barleeia haliotiphila.
2 comments:
Is this a live animal, Jackie? It looks like an operculum sealing off the opening. What a beautiful structure and form!
Hi, Hollis! I was wondering that, too. So I put the snail in a small, shallow pool, and, voilà! Out came the animal. So it was alive.
:) Jackie
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