When the spiraled white shell of a precious wentletrap was sold at auction in 1750, the highest bidder was none other than the Holy Roman Emperor, who shelled out no less than 4,000 guilders for the ...

While snorkeling off a windward beach, I found a marine animal on the ocean floor in about 10 feet of water. The creature lay buried in the sand, belly up, with just its teeth showing. I could barely ...

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... “Before you do anything else,” curator Chris Meyer said the minute I arrived at the National Museum of Natural History’s Invertebrate Zoology collection, ...

The Hawaiian tiger cowry is one of the largest cowries in the world, and one of Hawai‘i’s most famous shells. Most people have seen them for sale in shell shops, jewelry stores and variety stores, as ...

All these snakehead cowries were found dead. Sand grains wedged in the opening are a sure sign that neither the cowry nor a hermit crab lives inside. Select an option below to continue reading this ...

Shells are the true gems of the ocean and a beachcomber’s most prized find. Although, commonly used today to adorn necklaces, earrings and bracelets, or to decorate the home, shells and their ...

Dead or alive, the chestnut cowry, a snail with a brilliant shell, strongly draws the human eye with its beauty. The polished shine of the cowry shell varies in tone from white below to deep chestnut ...