Friday 28 June 2013

Jeweled Top Snail

Image: Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory
Calliostoma annulatum
Him: "I couldn't afford a diamond ring so I tied a snail to a bit of string instead."

Her: "It's BEAUTIFUL!"

Image: Ken-ichi Ueda
The Jeweled Top Snail is a marine snail...

Image: Renee V
Who rides around in the equivalent of a gold-plated limousine.

Image: Wikipedia
Actually, it's probably a tighter fit in there so it's probably more like something a little smaller. Still covered in gold and jewels, though!


Video: BMSCLive

These dazzling gastropods reach about 2 cm (an inch) long and inspire jealousy among fellow inhabitants of kelp forests from Alaska to California.

Image: Steve Lonhart (SIMoN / MBNMS)
They're omnivorous, feasting on the actual kelp as well as algae and various encrusting creatures like hydroids and bryozoans. They may even feed on the corpses of dead fish!

Image: California Academy of Sciences
"May I just say that it is my greatest pleasure to contribute my cold, rotting flesh to the continued splendour of your most illustrious carriage.

It's what I would've wanted"

4 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

wow! looks like something straight out of thailand! wow!!!

Joseph JG said...

Must be strange to know it lives so close to you!

Daniel Berke said...

That's one pretty snail!

Joseph JG said...

I know! It really looks like it's covered in tiny, carefully placed jewels!