Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Mon, 16 Jun 2014 21:22:29 -1000 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I was diving on Maui last week in an area of silty sand with occasional
large basalt boulders at about 100 feet. I saw a mature C. cornuta
upside down next to one of the large boulders. I could see it from a
distance because of it's shiny yellow bottom and I'm thinking: Oh Boy,
freshly dead helmet shell. What I discovered was 3 more live helmets
arrayed around it, pointed at it, only a couple of inches away. The
upside-down individual was quite visibly alive so I set it right-side-up
and checked each of the other three. All four shells appeared to be
male by their shell and spine shape. I could not figure out if I was
witness to a slow-motion brawl or a slow-motion rescue. Either these
three had pinned number four against the boulder and flipped him over,
or he was putting out a signal that he was in trouble and they came to
help. I have been diving in Hawaii for 41 years and I have never seen
this behavior before. Comments please. Keith Zeilinger
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|