Andy, some years ago Paul Shank of Florida witness a conchyliophora doing
his thing in an aquarium. Yes some attachments get knock off and can be
glued back on if care is taken to duplicate its position, yes some one even
asked about gluing broken ceramic to one. You can guess my answer. If you
send me your address I'll send you a coy of my article that was published
in Sea & Shore a few years back.

Harry B.

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> [Original Message]
> From: Andy Rindsberg <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 1/12/2005 5:32:23 PM
> Subject: Re: Xenophora attachments of the odd kind
>
> I asked,
> > Has anyone witnessed Xenophora attaching objects to itself, perhaps in
an
> aquarium? How does the animal do that? Does it fuss around inspecting
> different bits of shell, like a hermit crab seeking a new domicile?
>
> And Peggy Williams answered,
> > Some years ago there was an article in a shell club newsletter about
this.
> Yes, it fusses around inspecting different bits of shell, then spends time
> deciding just how to attach it. I think the process took a day or two.
>
> Thanks, Peggy, that's interesting. But the shell bits have to be cemented
> somehow to the Xenophora's outer shell, and most mollusks secrete calcium
> carbonate from the mantle. The problem is that the snail has to hold the
new
> shell bit in place while cementing it onto its outer shell -- and I doubt
if
> it's as easy as dabbing a bit of glue onto the outer shell and then
sticking
> the new shell bit onto it. Of course, the mantle is a very flexible organ.
> The question might be partially addressed by examining Xenophora shells
> whose shell bits have come loose, that is, if they have not been touched
up
> with glue by people.
>
> Andy
>
> Andrew K. Rindsberg
> Geological Survey of Alabama
>
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