- Shark eye
Taxobox
name = Shark eye
image caption =
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Mollusca
classis =Gastropoda
ordo =Neotaenioglossa
familia =Naticidae
genus = "Neverita "
species = "N. duplicata"
binomial = "Neverita duplicata"
binomial_authority = (Say, 1822)
synonyms =The shark eye, "Neverita duplicata", (previously known as "Polynices duplicata"), is a
species ofpredatory seasnail , a marinegastropod mollusc in the familyNaticidae (themoon snail s).This is a common western Atlantic species.
Distribution
It is found from
Massachusetts and other parts ofNew England , south toFlorida and other states on theGulf of Mexico .Habitat
This moon snail is found on sandy shores just below the low tide line. The empty shell is very commonly washed up on beaches.
hell description
The shell has a flattened globular shape, and reaches about 88 to 90 mm in maximum dimension. The color of the shell is variable, but is often a greyish brown. The central
apex of the shell is often a dark blue in fresh shells, which can make the shell somewhat resemble an eye. On the underside there is a large brown callus which partly blocks the umbilicus of the shell.Life habits
The shark eye (like all moon snails) is predatory, feeding mainly on
bivalves found buried in the sand. The shark eye drills a neat "countersunk" circular hole through the shell, and then feeds on the soft tissue within.References
*
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashells
* [http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/zt01257p025.pdf Huelsken, T. "et al" (2006)]Neverita delessertiana (Recluz in Chenu, 1843): a naticid species (Gastropoda:Caenogastropoda ) distinct from "Neverita duplicata" ("Say", "1822") based on molecular data, morphological characters, and geographical distribution.Zootaxa , 1-25.External links
* [http://www.jaxshells.org/0408ii.htm "Neverita duplicata" at Jax Shells]
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