Diacria trispinosa Blainville, 1821

Tags: Diacria trispinosa | mollusk

Photo by Lee-Kun-Hsuan

 

The three-spined Cavoline (Diacria trispinosa) has a flattened shell that is open at the front. The sides flare forward to a tip like the wings of a spaceship. Towards the rear is a long and slim blunt tail that looks like a spaceship tailfin with a light on the end. When alive, the area near the opening is a beautiful purplish-red color, while the entire shell is almost transparent, giving it the appearance of a spaceship made from high-tech glass.

The species enjoys wide distribution throughout the world's temperate and tropical seas. It is very common in the waters through which the Kuroshio Current passes. NMNS has so far collected specimens of this species from the waters near the Pengjia Island in northeast Taiwan, the coasts off Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung's Manjhou in eastern Taiwan, Siaoliouciou in the west and the waters off Pingtung, as well as in Pingtung and the waters of the South China Sea around the Dongsha Islands.

 

National Museum of Natural Science (The Digital Museum of Nature & Culture)