Family Harpidae

The family Harpidae has only a few species in two genera known from the Marshalls. Two of these three are known only from empty or broken shells. Members of the genus Harpa have a very large muscular foot well adapted to digging into the sand. They are nocturnally active and typically hide beneath the sand during the day, although we have seen occasional specimens actively crawling about in daylight in Halimeda patches. They move fast for a snail and eat crabs and shrimp. Species of Morum are also nocturnal, hiding in sand or rubbly sand during the day and emerging at night to feed. Like Harpa, they are thought to eat crustaceans, but we have not yet seen any Morum feeding.

Harpa amouretta
Harpa gracilis
Harpa harpa
Morum joelgreenei
Morum macdonaldi

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