I may be wrong in this case, but when I've seen Eupleura on grass or on any
exposed surface, the shells were invariably inhabited by crabs.
 
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> From: Gregory Herbert <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Eupleura behavior
> Date: Friday, January 23, 1998 11:06 AM
>
> Hello,
> I've recently observed Eupleura sulcidentata clinging to the tips of sea
> grass blades in quiet NW Florida bays.  This is interesting behavior for
a
> carnivore, but it may be to avoid predation from the abundant crabs in
the
> area.  Has anyone out there observed this behavior while snorkeling or
> scuba diving?  Might there be some sort of food source (i.e. tiny
> animals/worms) on these blades of grass that E. sulcidentata is seeking?
> This species is very small for the genus, and the bivalves living in the
> area would seem to me to be much too large for E. sulcidentata to handle.
> Has anyone observed E. sulcidentata feeding?  If so, on what?  Radwin and
> Wells (1968) attempted to determine food preferences for this species in
> an aquarium but all the animals died without eating.  Any ideas?
> Thanks,
> Greg Herbert
> Loyola University
> New Orleans, LA