We enjoy learning fun facts about the invertebrates we sample during our biomonitoring events.
Today we’d like to share some fun facts about the gastropod shell, the gastropod shell is an animal shell that is part of the body of a gastropod or snail.
It is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage.
The gastropod shell has several layers and is typically made of calcium carbonate precipitated out into an organic matrix.
Not all gastropods have a shell, but the majority do.
The shell is in one piece, and is typically spirally coiled, although some groups, such as the various families of limpets, have simple cone-shaped shells as adults.
#gastropods #macroinvertebrates #environmentalservices #biosphereenvirosolutions