Florida Museum Science

Not all snails are curled like a cinnamon bun! These Petaloconchus compactus are worm snails, marine gastropods that grow irregularly shaped shells, usually in colonies cemented together. This species has an operculum, a little lid at the open end. It is protection against predators, but one of the main functions is protection against drying out for those that live in intertidal zones. #SummerOfSpecimens #MolluskMonday #snails #invertebrates