| Volute shells (Volutidae) are large, colorful gastropods. Popular with collectors, some command high prices. Of about 200 kinds, most live in shallow, tropical seas, but some come from deep waters and a few from polar waters. Volutes are carnivorous, rapid crawlers. Females lay eggs in leathery capsules. The operculum is absent in most, but not in the true Voluta. Volute shells have strong folds, fairly constant in number, on the
calomel | Spider conchs (Strombidae) are closely related to the true conchs. The ten known species of spider conchs are limited to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. A fossil species is found in Hawaii. All are vegetarians and lay spaghetti-like egg masses. |