Snail, out hunting

A week or so ago, I wrote about a two-tone trophon snail from Boundary Bay. At the time, I had been trying to get a photo of the siphon he extends through the canal at the tip of his shell, but he wasn't co-operating.

He finally showed up near the wall a couple of days ago, and let me get a few photos.

Trophonopsis orpheus, on an abalone shell against the wall. The tip of the siphon is just visible at lower right.

Climbing over a blade of eelgrass. The eyes are near the tips of his tentacles. The siphon is visible, extended through the siphonal canal.

How much he sees with those little eyes is debatable, but his main guidance system is the siphon. He's "breathing" in the water through the tube, and also "smelling" his way. A few hours later, he had found the barnacles on a stick on the far side of the tank, and was busy emptying the biggest.

And now he's back buried in the sand, digesting.