Moons live beneath the sand and feed upon snails and urchins by
drilling a circular hole and injecting acidic saliva. Sand and
eggs are glued together to form a layered coil or collar.
HAWAII
Natica gualteriana
Common in sand in shallow water. Less than 1 inch.
Operculum is calcareous, white. Hawaii & the Indo-West
Pacific.
Natica bougei
Rare at scuba depths. Less than 1/2 inch. Hawaii & the
tropical Pacific.
Polinices melanostomus
Rare at scuba depths. Less than 1 inch. Hawaii & the
Indo-Pacific.
Polinices
simiae
Haleiwa Trench, Oahu, 50 feet
Egg mass, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet
Egg mass, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet
Uncommon in sand at scuba depths. Less than 1 inch.
Operculum is transparent red. Hawaii & the tropical Pacific.
Polinices
tumidus
Uncommon in sand. About 2 inches. Operculum is transparent
brown. Hawaii & the Tropical Pacific.
INDO-PACIFIC
Polinices aurantius
GOLDEN MOON SNAIL
Tropical Western Pacific. Absent from Hawaii. About 1.5
inches.
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