Operculum, heart-shaped (approx. 3 cm)
Heart-shaped operculum, polished.
Size: approx. 3 cm
Locality: Indo-Pacific
This is an operculum (lat. "cover") of the gyro snail, which lives in shallow water.
The cover provides an important protective function for the animal as it fits perfectly on the shell opening.
Unlike the shell, the operculum is formed by outer skin cells and grows circularly to adapt to the ever-widening opening of the shell. It is usually attached to the outside of the animal and directly to the muscle that pulls the snail into its shell. This allows the gastropod to block the opening with maximum force to protect itself from predators and dehydration.
Most snails have an operculum of horn layers, but some groups such as turban snails and gyro snails additionally reinforce this layer with aragonite (calcium carbonate), which serves to strengthen it.
Colors in photos may differ slightly from the original piece due to technical reasons.
The pictures serve as an example. You will receive one specimen of equivalent quality.
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