>Don't you think that there might be an easier way for an Octopus to
>get a hermit crab out of its borrowed shell without resorting to
>drilling?  Drilling must take some time.

>Kay pointed out the same sort of question that I have been
>wondering for some time.
>
>Cowry shells are attacked by certain small octopuses in aquarium
>and victimized shells show very small (less than 0.5 mm dia.)
>pinholes, often more than one. As cowry shells are not protected
>by operculum, I wonder why drilling is necessary. One clue might
>be that the area where pinholes are made tended to be close to
>the tail end of the soft body when it retreat deep inside. Perhaps,
>the prey might first be paralyzed by injection of something before
>it would be extracted out of the shell.

Octopuses use their saliva to partially break down tissues, then suck
them out. This would loosen the animal in the shell, and the
octopuses can them dig the softened animal out via the aperture.

Have any listees observed octopuses eating shelled snails?

>According to local octopi I have spoken with, they drill the hole to
>relieve the vacuum behind the animal when they pull it from the shell.
>
>They also claim to have little interest in crabbed shells.

Aww, and I tawt the octopus BLEW the animal out...
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<[log in to unmask]>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut

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