Haminoea linda, South Pacific. The shells of these and similar opisthobranchs are transparent and colorless. The color and pattern seen here is on the mantle and is showing trough the clear, transparent shell. When the animal dies, the shells often wash up on beaches and are hard to distinguish from the bubbles produced by waves splashing on the shore, hence the name "bubble shells."
John B. Burch (photographer; copyright holder), Mollusk Division, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
This resource may not be downloaded and used without permission of the copyright holder except for educational fair use.
The Animal Diversity Web team is excited to announce ADW Pocket Guides!
To cite this page: Burch, J.2005. "040.rjb1.jpg" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 14, 2024 at https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/jack_burch/040.rjb1/
Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support.