Seashell Soul Studio

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

One of my favorite shells…

Welcome to June! What’s the purpose of the holes in abalone shells? The holes, made at intervals by the snail, serve several biological functions, all associated with the release of water used by the animal. The snail draws water for respiration (breathing) from beneath their shells; after passing through their gills, the water is vented through the little “exhaust ports”. That used water also discharges metabolic waste away from the head of the snail. Last but not least, when it is time to spawn, abalones release their eggs or s***m through the holes. Depending on the species, abalones employ between four and ten functional holes and obliterate the older orifices as they grow their shells. By the way, the orifices of abalones are analogue to the keyhole in keyhole limpets and the slit of slit shells! (The shell in the photos is a Pinto Abalone / *Haliotis kamtschatkana*. Photos: José H. Leal.)

05/26/2026

Beautiful start to the day despite the rainy start…

05/23/2026

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baby pelican…

05/22/2026

Wow, look at all the plastic 😢

05/21/2026

Love this…

“OCÉANOGRAPHIE”, a vintage encyclopedia illustration of marine invertebrates featuring members of the phlya Cnidaria, Ctenaphora, Porifera, Annelida, Echinodermata, and Chordata (subphylum Tunicata).
🪼🪸🧽🪱⭐️
Created by the French entomologist, artist, and lithographer Adolphe Philippe Millot, (1857 1921) The illustration is one of the color lithographs he created for the illustrated French language encyclopedia “Nouveau Larousse illustré”. It was published “OCÉANOGRAPHIE”, a vintage encyclopedia illustration of marine invertebrates featuring members of the phlya Cnidaria, Ctenaphora, Porifera, Annelida, Echinodermata, and Chordata (subphylum Tunicata).
🪼🪸🧽🪱⭐️
Created by the French entomologist, artist, and lithographer Adolphe Philippe Millot, (1857 1921) The illustration is one of the color lithographs he created for the illustrated French language encyclopedia “Nouveau Larousse illustré”. It was published between 1897 and 1906. This particular illustration is from the “Nouveau Larousse illustré – Supplement” (1906).
🪼🪸🧽🪱⭐️
Note: The table below contains the common French names for the animals illustrated here. They are from the color plates bottom caption.
🪼🪸🧽🪱⭐️
1. Spinosella 2. Philosiphonia 3. Hyaloneme 4. Dicymba
5. Agalme 6. Cristallodes 7. Arethusa 8. Physalia 9. Atolla
10. Cépheé 11. Sanderia 12. Periphyla 13. Halicreas
14. Chryssora 15. Rhizostoma 16. Aglisera. 17. Colononema
18. Equoree 19. Liriope 20. Disconalia 21. La même. Jeune
22. Beré. 23. Actinia flagellifera 24. Actinia elematis
25. Actinia graminea 26. Dendrophyllia 27. Pieroides
28. Melithea rubrum 29. Melithea retifera 30. Astrophyton
31. Pentaceros 32. Pentacrine 33. Heterocentrotus 34. Encope
35. Rotule 36. Trochosoma 37. Holotrurie 38. Arenicole
39. Branchioma 40. Ampharete 41. Aphrodite 42. Phyllodoce
43. Cynthia 44. Botrylle

05/21/2026

Watching this movie now…

05/21/2026

Had a beautiful morning shelling. First time back since the last hurricane.
So many shell piles @ low tide… ✌️♥️🐚

05/20/2026

Here’s one of my favorite shells.
Love Limpets…