It had to happen. The Letter X is in the alphabet. There’s no escaping it!

Just like some shells can’t escape the xenophoridae.

Sounds scary, huh?

Nah.

This article at deepseanews.com has some really incredible pictures of the sea snail that collects other shells so that it doesn’t have create its own protection.

Of course, xeno means foreign. The rest of it means that the creature carries stuff (very scientific of me, I know!).

In this case, it attaches bits and pieces it finds.

Isn’t that the craziest, coolest thing?

Here’s a link to a photo of a mollusk caught in the act.

I’m not sure how they decide which shells and corals and scraps to glue on. Some of these snails have a feeling for symmetry and beauty, and others are all about attaching whatever wherever. The latter ones remind me of Armadillo’s sticker art when she was a toddler—how many stickers could she get on the page? LOL

If my mermaid collected shells or pet snails, she would love that one in the picture.

That’s such a lie! She would love every single one of them! Yep, the other mermaids would say, “How many of those xenophoridae can you keep in one grotto?” and “Quit stealing little shells from my grotto. Your xenophoridae have enough decorations already!”

Have you ever seen this kind of mollusk before? Do you have a shell collection or try to find shells on the beach? What other things can you think of to tell my mermaid that she doesn’t need anymore xenophoridae?