FAMILY : SPIRULIDAE
Spirula spirula (Linne, 1758)

This little shell can be very common on most beaches when the on-shore winds are blowing. It is actually the internal shell of the "Light Tail squid", a squid-like cephalopod that inhabits the deeper water of many of the worlds oceans.They are decapods, with 8 arms and 2 longer tentacles, all with suckers.The animal maintains a vertical position (with the head facing down) by means of gas in the chambers of the shell. It normally goes down 550-700 m. during the day and rises to a depth of about 100-300 m at night. When the animal dies the body decays and the bouyant shell floats to the surface. The living animal is rarely observed and is the only member of the family Spirulidae.

Lepas pectinata attached to Spirula shell

© All images Copyright 2010 Denis Riek. All rights reserved.