Shells from Panama

Here are some of the shells we found on the January and February, 2000 trips to Gobernadora Island, taken while the mollusks were still living in a small aquarium. I used an Olympus Camedia model D340R digital camera, which has a zoom feature and later enhanced the photos (taking out distracting backgrounds) in Photoshop.

Newly included are photos of shells from my 2005 trip to the Perlas Islands, taken with a Nikon D100 with 60 mm Micro lens.

	Conus archon (?) dredged
	Conus patricius collected intertidally on muddy sand bar at low tide
	Cypraea cervinetta intertidal, under rocks and crawling between them
	Ficus ventricosa intertidal, on sand between rocks
	Harpa crenata intertidal, buried in sand at low tide and "popping" when tide turned
	Jenneria pustulata Collected under coral rock at 4 feet by snorkeling
	Murex recurvirostris recurvirostris dredged, 90 feet on sand bottom
	Oliva fuscata dredged at 125 feet on mud bottom
	Oliva polpasta dredged, 60 feet on sand bottom; also found intertidally
	Oliva splendidula dredged at 90 feet on sand bottom
	Opeatostoma pseudodon on rocks uncovered at low tide
	Pleuroploca princeps intertidal, on sand between rocks Note the brilliant red body spotted with deep purple and the sculptured operculum
	Purpura pansa on boulders at high tide line
	Spondylus princeps chiseled off rock at low tide line
	Strombus granulatus dredged at 30 feet on sand bottom
	Turbo saxosus under intertidal rocks at low tide
	Bailya anomala Intertidal, Perlas Islands. This begins the new section of images from the Perlas Islands.
	Anachis fluctuata Intertidal, Perlas Islands
	Bursa calcipicta Dredged, 40 feet
	Bursa calcipicta Dredged, 40 feet
	Cassis centriquadrata Intertidal, Perlas Islands
	Cypraea cervinetta Intertidal, Perlas Islands
	Cypraea cervinetta Intertidal, Perlas Islands
	Typhis clarki Dredged at 40 feet.
	Typhis clarki Dredged at 40 feet.
	Erato scabriuscula Intertidal under rocks, Perlas Islands A tiny but exquisite shell
	Erato scabriuscula Intertidal under rocks, Perlas Islands
	Ficus ventricosa Dredged, Perlas Islands This juvenile performed energetically as I was photographing it.
	Aspella indentata Dredged, Perlas Islands
	Jenneria pustulata Under dead coral, Perlas Islands This shell, though brilliant and beautiful, is difficult to see in its habitat.
	Jenneria pustulata Under dead coral, Perlas Islands
	Jenneria pustulata Under dead coral, Perlas Islands The lacy mantle, covered with pustules, adds to the visual confusion.
	Murexiella lappa Intertidal under rocks, Perlas Islands
	Lima pacifica This bivalve cannot wholly close its shell for the mass of tentacles, which are used to gather tiny plankton from the water for food.
	Quoyula monodonta Found on coral, which it eats, this shell is very difficult to see. It's aperture is a lovely purple color.
	Quoyula monodonta The shell is difficult to spot on the coral - it nestles close and the shell mimics the coral.
	Nassarius corpulentis Dredged, 40 feet
	Nassarius corpulentis Dredged, 40 feet
	A nudibranch, this mollusc has no shells; its gills (branchs) and exposed (nude).
	Olivella species Intertidal in sand at the surf line. There are two species here. Note the large foot which helps to burrow quickly.
	Opeatostoma pseudodon and Leucozonia cerrata Intertidal rocks. The striped Opeatostoma has a tooth on the outer lip which is used to pry open barnacles to eat.
	Anachis pardalis Intertidal in sand among rocks
	Pecten perulus Dredged, 40 feet. Note the shining eyes at each "scallop" of the shell. These eyes can detect shadows and possibly movement, to warn of danger.
	Pecten perulus Dredged, 40 feet. The animal is extending its foot to orient itself and look for a place to settle.
	Solen pfeifferi Dredged, 40 feet. The animal's foot is extended as it looks for sand to burrow in.
	Cymatium pileare Intertidal, under rocks. Each "triton" species has a unique spotted pattern on its body.
	Polinices panamensis Dredged, 40 feet
	Polystira pictus Dredged, 40 feet
	Oliva porphyria Intertidal sand at night. This was the prize of the trip, and the group only found two! Three small specimens were dredged as well. This is the largest and one of the most beautiful of the Olive shells. The animal is as beautiful as the shell!
	Cancellaria pulchra Dredged, 40 feet. We found several species of Cancellaria.
	Cancellaria tessellata This species was found on mud flats during the night low tide.
	Terebra robusta Dredged, 40 feet
	Cypraea robertsi Intertidal under rocks. The mantle of this animal is thin and inconspicuous, yet it does cover the shell and help disguise it.
	Cypraea robertsi
	Cantharus sanguinolentus Intertidal, under rocks. The species name refers to the blood-red (sanguine) aperture.
	Cantharus sanguinolentus
	Prunum sapotilla Found on the mud flats during the nighttime low tide.
	Thala solitaria Dredged, 40 feet. We almost missed this tiny shell in the dredged material.
	Crassispira turricula Dredged, 40 feet. Though Turridae don't show much of their bodies when moving about, I like them, so here is one!
	Zonulispira zonulata Intertidal. Here's another turrid!
	Zonulispira zonulata And another specimen of the lovely turrid above.