Thursday 18 September 2014

Pelican's Foot Shell

Pelican's foot shell (Aporrhais pespelecani)

Used to find quite a number of these on the beach in Largo but this is the first one that I've found for a while. The main body of the shell is a whorled spire but the shell opening has an extended lip, shaped like the webbed foot of a bird and drawn out into four points. This one was 3.5cm. long although they can be up to 5cm. in length. I suspect this shell has been weathered by time and tide as the points have become very rounded. It's a sublittoral deep water species not normally found living on the shore.

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