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Project Noah Nature School
Harpa amouretta
"Unmistakable pattern and sculpture. The only Harpa in the Egyptian Red Sea. The spire is covered with small sharp points...it is carnivorous, its favorite food being small crabs. When it finds a crab it covers it with a sticky mucous which nearly paralyzes the crab, then eats it at its leisure. Prefers clean coral sand to hide under. Never lives in shallow water and not commonly carried up onto the shore." ~ Seashells of the Egyptian Red Sea by M. Rusmore-Villaume
Found along the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Not found in the Gulf of Suez.
Spotted on Apr 28, 2010
Submitted on Jul 21, 2012
5 Comments
Well, I have an excellent guide book! And I will definitely have a look at the unidentified molluscs in the mission. Or mollusks. There, that's the spelling my browser likes. ;-)
It seems you're quite the expert in identifying these sea snails, Bernadette. I hope you could lend a hand in helping us ID some of the unidentified mollusks in the mission? :)
@Blogie ~ Thanks! This is one of my favorites. And thanks for starting the mission! I don't dive, but I do love all the critters (and their shells!) that I come across in the tide pools, so I am glad when I have a "home" for them here on PN.
I love your photographic shell collection, Bernadette! Thanks for sharing them with us on the Mollusca mission. :)
Oh, I've seen this here in the Philippines! I don't remember anymore how deep it was, though.