What kind of animal do you think this came from?
Where does it live?
What does it eat?
Answers:
What kind of animal do you think this came from?
This is the shell from a Chiragra spider conch! The spiny fingers branching out from the central shell are the reason for the "spider" in its name, despite the fact that spiders have eight legs, and Chiragra spider conches only have six spines. Interestingly, the "Chiragra" refers to the Ancient Greek medical word for an inflammation of the hand (Gk. χειράγρα / kheirágra). You can imagine why someone might see this oddly shaped shell and think of a swollen hand!
Where does it live? What does it eat?
The Chiragra spider conch lives among coral reefs across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are herbivores, and feed on plants and algae.
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