Thursday, February 6, 2020

Best-laid plans

This afternoon I was checking on a few things along the rocky shore when from a distance I noticed something that looked like a bright yellow pine cone.  I realized that wasn't what it was, but I couldn't identify it until I got closer:



This is a cluster of Leafy Hornmouth (Ceratostoma foliatum) egg capsules.  There are two large grayish snails below the yellow capsules those are the Leafy Hornmouths.   Although we have found their egg capsules occasionally (see the post called "Fluted" from 11 February 2014), I don't recall seeing the snails in the process of laying eggs on Bodega Head before, so it seemed worth documenting.

P.S.  The smaller yellowish snail is a different species, Paciocinebrina lurida (formerly Ocinebrina lurida).  There are other interesting invertebrates in this image, so look around!

2 comments:

  1. Jackie,
    That is such a cool image. What interesting morphology of those egg capsules.

    Carol

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  2. Hi, Carol!

    I agree! Wouldn't it be cool to have a field guide to all of the different egg capsules!?

    :) Jackie

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