It has been written that the best place a diver can find shells is around an
octopus den. Cypraea have been found in fish stomachs. Spiny Murex are suppose
to be fierce fighters. Cones use a poison barb. I find no evidence of
predators for the "Carrier Shell" Xenophora, nothing written, no drill holes,
no damage or repaired shells. What could be mollusk defenses...poisons of its
own, color or structural camouflage, speed in hiding or escaping, how about
heavier shell structure or growths or attachments? If you have a spare X.
pallidula break off or imagine the attachments missing. Would the Xenophora be
defenseless, what would an octopus or crab have to grab on to? What we once
thought of as visual camouflage is a thing of the past, now it is realized
that predators see differently at different depths, this opens an untold
amount of possibilities for both mollusk and predator. Now we might consider
tactile camouflage, so feel and scent come in to play. Do objects going around
the shell peripheral edge or neatly spaced in vertical rows function as
tactical camouflage for the Xenophora? Do they leave a scent behind or emit
vibration or sound waves? The more I try to analyze this problem the more
questions I find need answering. I would be interested in what more you can
come up with regarding predators, defense and camouflage.
 
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Harry Berryman