The bottom and around the sides harden, creating something called sclerites, which are made from those mineralized iron sulphides. Not only is the shell of the scaly foot snail (volcano snail) unique, the foot, also known as the body, is very different to other snail species. The outer layer is the one that has stunned university researchers and scientists – it’s rich in iron sulphides. The inside armour layer (near to the snail’s body) is made from the carbonate mineral aragonite. The middle layer is what most snail shells are made of – organic periostracum. ![]() The armour is made up of three different layers. The shell of the scaly foot snail looks fairly typical, with three whorls, but it is actually very unique. This is a similar environment to lava in that it is an unsuitable habitat for most other creatures, but that’s where the similarities stop. This gastropod lives in deep (up to 3 kilometers down) hydrothermal vents under the sea, and only in the Indian Ocean. No, scaly foot snails cannot and do not live in lava. This sort of environment would be unsuitable for other creatures, but the aptly named volcano snail is built for exactly that kind of home. Sometimes referred to as “black smokers”, hydrothermal vents can force out hot water mixed with several potentially dangerous metal-based compounds, such as iron, at water temperature that, at times, exceeds 700C. Because of this, the volcano snail was added to the IUCN Red List as an endangered species in 2019. These vents are coming under attack from deep-sea mining companies, mining the sea floor and other deep-sea locations for deposits of minerals and other compounds. Kairei sits at 7,923 to 8,071 feet (2,415 to 2,460 m) down in the Central Indian ridge. The Kairei hydrothermal vent field population of the scaly foot snail or sea pangolin is smaller here than at the Longqi underwater vent field. Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Volcano Snail With an Iron Suit of Armor () Specifically, around three deep-sea hydrothermal vents. ![]() This gastropod only lives in one part of earth– the depths of the Indian Ocean. They can live in places that very few, if any, other animals could withstand, including very high temperatures, very high pressures, and high levels of acidity in the water. They might sound completely made-up, something out of a science-fiction tale, but this marine, iron-made gastropod is 100% real.įirst discovered in 2001, they are something of a marvel. You’ve heard of The Man in the Iron Mask, but have you heard about the snail with the iron shell? Because yes, volcano snails are real. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |