What kind of sea life do you think this is?
Where does it live?
How have people used it?
Answers:
What kind of sea life do you think this is? Where does it live?
This is a Spondylus pictorum, also called the "thorny oyster." Oddly enough, they are not considered true oysters, but rather are more closely related to scallops. They live in subtropical coastal areas around the world.
How have people used it?
The shell of some species of thorny oyster was used and traded by people as long ago as the Neolithic era. Since that time, its shell has also been used in jewelry, and the animal itself can be eaten at certain times, being sometimes toxic depending on the species and on the season. And some collectors today still seek thorny oyster shells for their collections.
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