The operculum, sometimes called a "trap door", to a Lewis's Moon Snail (Neverita lewisii). This is the part attached to the snail's foot that seals the opening to the shell when the animal pulls in. This operculum was 2¾ inches (7 cm) long.
Interestingly, the inside of the operculum was very reflective and looked quite silvery in the overcast light of the fog today (17 August 2024).
3 comments:
Of all th moon snail species, does only the Lewis’ have an operculum?
Wondering if the Lewis’ Moon Snail is the only moon snail that has an operculum… (?)
Hello! Well, I'm not familiar with *all* moon snail species, but I would expect that all of them would have an operculum. If you find a live one, you can turn it over...when the snail pulls into the shell, you'll see the operculum on the bottom of the foot. (Sometimes you have to nudge the snail a bit so it retracts into the shell.)
:) Jackie
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