Now
you may not know, but Wentletrap and hermit crab association is due to
the fact that hermie babies are born without shells and as soon as they
are large enough set to look for a discarded shell, on the move and call
live. Wentletrap
snail shells are perfect for the job because they are small, no bigger
than 2 inches at best, and can comfortably accommodate a small baby
hermie.
There are several hundred species of Wentletrap worm that can be found in all types of ocean. The "precious Wentletrap" is one of the most interesting, however, and was, as it name suggests, very special. It is not so much its beauty, but supply and demand that determines the price of a cup, and when the worm was first discovered was considered in the 1600s as a royal award. In fact, Catherine the Great and Queen of Sweden rumored both owned by the particular shell and it is that Francis 1st, the Holy Roman Emperor, paid $ 20,000 for a shell of this type.
Because
of the high price that a precious type could command this shell, there
were many forgeries of rice paste by Chinese craftsmen who went
undetected for many years formed. It is said that the fraud was discovered as a collector decided to wash his bowl and watched in horror as it solved. In
today's climate of the shell is far from "Precious" and sells for
around $ 10, while the rarer paste imitations are more sought after. The hermie and screw connection, however, is as precious as it ever was.
You will hardly see a living species of this particular worm, because they live off the coast, and it is usually their empty shells that are frequently washed ashore. This leads to the screw connection and hermie since baby hermies who have made their way from the sea on the coast are in the market for small snail shells. These snails feed on anemones and corals and radiate a pinkish purple dye before stun their prey. Their shells are small, curvy, very white and almost translucent. The shell consists of towers whorls, forming a conical shape with very deep ribbed sculpture. It can be said that hermies have extremely good taste, since a bowl of this kind is truly a thing of great beauty.
Hermies as already mentioned are not "real" crab because they are born without a shell. In fact, one of her closest relationships is the spider. Since her soft belly and house their digestive glands and are reporductive are their organs, it is important for them to find an empty shell, which they can carry around with them to protect themselves from enemies. Hermies are very picky when it comes to choosing a new home and have been known to fight to the death in the same shell. Wentletrap shells are perfect for the juvenile hermies since they require a tight bowl that provides the shell. They are a nice spiral shape with round or oval openings and a heavy lid. This is an ideal "front door" for those who can hermie with its large chuck guard.
So you can see how the Wentletrap and hermit crab is really a match made in heaven!...
