Xenophora - Assemblage artists of the deep!

Marine snails of the genus Xenophora collect shells, rocks, and other debris from their environment. They attach these objects to their shells at intervals during the shell's growth. Sometimes it creates a neat radiating pattern; sometimes the effect is more that of a jumble of debris. The result for us in any case is that their collections become little samplings of a variety of faraway underwater realms.

It is not known to what extent an artistic sensibility plays a part in this behavior. The ones who live in shallower water (where there is enough light for them to be seen) probably use their collections for camouflage. The ones that live in the deeper, dark waters, such as X. pallidula, are believed to be motivated more by a desire to not to be sucked into the viscous muck in which they live. Attaching extensions to their shells spreads out the shell's surface area and helps prevent the animal from sinking. The additions may also strengthen the snail's relatively thin shell.

Click on any shell to see detail

Top row: X. flindersi X. solarioides X. conchyliophora X. robusta Middle row: X. pallidula X. pallidula X. pallidula X. japonica X. pallidula (underside) Bottom row: X. cerea X. cerea X. konoi X. corrugata

"Characteristically, the shell is covered with other shells, shell fragments, coral pieces, or stones that are attached or cemented with secretions from the animal. The shells are attached dead, although there is one account of a live kitten's paw being attached in an aquarium. All bivalves and bivalve pieces are attached inner side up and gastropods are usually attached with the aperture up. Once an object is selected, it is cleaned (as is the site of intended attachment), and then the object is rotated and fitted to the attachment site. This may take up to 1 1/2 hours. The piece is then held in place with the animal's foot, snout, and tentacle bases and glued into place. The Xenophora may then lay motionless for up to 10 hours, only rocking in place now and then, seemingly a check on the strength of its new attachment."

From the " Ecology Page" at the Xenophoridae home page.

This collection has been featured in the Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society ^M