Melo Umbilicatus

Description

Melo is a genus of extremely large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Volutidae, the volutes. Species in this genus sometimes produce large pearls. These shells are commonly referred to as baler or bailer shells as natives often use them to bail out water form their boats. This stunning melo umbilicatus was initially harvested for food. They are found in Australia from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands to South Australia and north around the Western Australian coast, across the Northern Territory coast to Queensland. They are carnivorous and feed on other mulluscs such as scallops, tritons and turban shells. They are generally nocturnal animals that hunt for their food on sandy bottoms. By day they usually bury themselves in the sand. This shell is stunning with beautiful colors inside, and distinctive and well defined banding on the exterior. It is extraordinarily large and a shell of this size and quality is rarely found. It is intact with no dings and it is hand polished. It would be a beautiful addition for the serious shell collector. This shell weighs 2.83 pounds and measures 17 inches long, 6 inches high and 10.5 inches wide.