Family Nassariidae

Nassariids, or basket shells, tend to be highly active snails with large animals and which move rapidly. Many bury in sand by day, some simply burying themselves in sand patches and others digging down in sand beneath rocks. At least one seems to live mostly within the mucky sediments inside sunken ships. Most emerge at night to feed, and most species appear to be primarily scavengers. This list contains most of the Marshall Islands species we know of, although a number of the identifications are uncertain. There are also a couple more from this area that we have not personally been able to find and photograph, so they are not included.

Nassarius abyssicolus
Nassarius cf alfuricus
Nassarius cf cinnamomeus
Nassarius concinnus
Nassarius crematus
Nassarius cf fuscolineatus
Nassarius gaudiosus
Nassarius glans
Nassarius graniferus
Nassarius oneratus
Nassarius papillosus
Nassarius pauperus
Nassarius troendleorum
Nassarius sp. 8
Nassarius sp. 9

Kwajalein Underwater home

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