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The tusk shells or tooth shells, technically the Scaphopoda / skæˈfɒpədə / (the scaphopods / ˈskæfəpɒdz /, from Ancient Greek σκᾰ́φης skáphē "boat" and πούς poús "foot"), are members of a class of shelled marine mollusc with worldwide distribution, and are the only class of exclusively infaunal marine molluscs.
elephant’s tusk, elephant’s tooth, or tooth shell. Related Topics: mollusk. Dentalium. tusk shell, any of several marine mollusks of the class Scaphopoda. There are four genera of tusk shells ( Dentalium is typical and most common) and more than 350 species.
On the coast shells can often be found that belong to an animal that looks roughly like an elephant's tusk, which it is therefore colloquially called. In contrary to a real elephant tusk this shell, however, is open on both ends.
Scaphopod shells usually have four layers, and these are used for identification. The shell is curved, tubular, and shaped like an elephant tusk. Most average 3 to 6 cm long, but can range from 4 mm to 15 cm. Fossils show specimens 30 cm long. The scaphopod shell is open at both ends.
Aug 18, 2020 · The Scaphopoda are small but interesting class of molluscs. Their common name is Tusk Shells because the curved, hollow and cylindrical shells resemble small tusks. One of the most distinctive aspect of the Scaphopodan shell is that it is a cylinder and open at both ends. The larger aperture is where the foot and ‘head’ area are located.
Antalis vulgaris is a small mollusc of 3 to 6 cm length with a characteristic elephant tusk shape. Its shell is opaque white and displays closely spaced longitudinal striations on the posterior portion.
The Scaphopoda are a distinctive group of molluscs commonly known as the "tusk shells" because their shells are conical and slightly curved to the dorsal side, making the shells look like tiny tusks (see the photos below).
