One more from Wakatobi...

Can anyone tell me what kind of shell and what kind of animal this is? Thanks in advance. Robyn

It is a snail eating a starfish.....

I don't have any ID books for stars or snails, so if you are looking for species, someone else will have to chime in, but the starfish may be a Linkia sp and the snail is what I would call a Trumpet.

Don't you just love it when you get back and realize you captured a really cool act of animal behavior.

Don't you just love it when you get back and realize you captured a really cool act of animal behavior.

That's fer sure! Silly me...I thought that was some type of exotic animal living in that shell.

Thanks for the heads up acroporas. If anyone knows what type of preditor that is,,please clue me in. Thanks, Robyn

Looks like a Triton's Trumpet (Charonia tritonis) feeding on a starfish. They also eat crown-of-thorns, but are collected for their shells regrettably giving an advantage to the crown-of-thorns.

so the legs belong to the starfish and the snail is invisible inside the shell? Cool capture Robyn.

funny one Robyn, yes it is a Triton's Trumpet shell, they are also found where you live and in Coz... here's one from coz.

http://www.allenhost.com/gallery/d/112543-...rumpetshell.jpg

funny one Robyn, yes it is a Triton's Trumpet shell, they are also found where you live and in Coz... here's one from coz.

Your snail and the Snaphappy's snail are NOT the same species of snail. They may go by the same common name, but they are NOT the same species.

Your snail and the Snaphappy's snail are NOT the same species of snail. They may go by the same common name, but they are NOT the same species.

thanks, I thought since that went by the same name they were related. now I know

Your snail and the Snaphappy's snail are NOT the same species of snail. They may go by the same common name, but they are NOT the same species.

Hey William, now I'm curious, since you say they are not the same species, are they related? Like a grouper in the atlantic is to the pacific. The pattern seems to be the same on a cleaned up shell, just more of a scalloped edge. Thanks, things I need to learn

Hey William, now I'm curious, since you say they are not the same species, are they related? Like a grouper in the atlantic is to the pacific. The pattern seems to be the same on a cleaned up shell, just more of a scalloped edge. Thanks, things I need to learn

Thanks for posting this question Scott. I was sort of curious too. Robyn

are they related? Like a grouper in the atlantic is to the pacific.

Yes exactly like two species of grouper. The are in the same genus, but are different species.