Fun Ecphora Facts For Kids
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Ecphora gardnerae, of the genus Ecphora, is one of the relics of the past that excites and intrigues us. This species is a gastropod, which means that it belongs to the class of animals that we widely and lovingly term snails.
Dr. Lauck Ward is one of the few historians that have an extensive collection of Ecphora fossils and has concluded that they originated around the Pliocene age. However, there are eight different genera of Ecphora that are recognized to this date, and the first few dates as far back as the Miocene era.
The distinguishable characteristic between the different varieties such as the subgenus Stenomphalus and Latecphora is the formation of their shell.
All the species of Ecphora have a distinct dark brown color and T-shaped ribs that run throughout their body and add to the beauty of their shell. These ribs on their shell are also what give them the name.
The term Ecphora is a Greek word that means 'bearing out' and refers to the column-like structure that the ribs make.
The genus is known to be carnivorous and preys on other mollusks such as oysters and clams. Maryland is one of the places where enthusiasts of these species are concentrated because acquiring a fossil in these regions is fairly simple - the adjacent shores being the site of their formation in the Miocene age.
Don't Ecphoras sound like the most fascinating creatures? For more interesting facts, make sure to check out sea slug facts and apple snail facts here at Kidadl.
Ecphora Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an Ecphora?
The Ecphora (Ecphora gardnerae) is an extinct snail that inhabited the seas along the East coast of America in the Miocene age, many million years ago. They are of the same class as snails and have slimy skin, however, they also have a beautiful shell, which slugs don't.
What class of animal does an Ecphora belong to?
The Ecphora belongs to the class Gastropoda. It is from the same family as Murex and Dog Whelk.
How many Ecphoras are there in the world?
Since Ecphoras are now extinct, you can only find their fossils at museums and as prized possessions at a collector's home.
Where does an Ecphora live?
The Ecphora and its subspecies such as Ecphora quadricostataand Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae wilson lived around the East Coast of America. The fact that their fossils are mostly concentrated near Southern Florida, Maryland, and Virginia tells us about their home of choice!
What is an Ecphora's habitat?
Like some other gastropods, these native species of Maryland also found their natural habitat in marine environments. The ecosystem also provided them with their prey, in addition to favorable living conditions.
Who do Ecphoras live with?
Being a gastropod, Ecphora gardnerae enjoyed isolation, as is typical of the class, irrespective of the Miocene age. Since the species was known to be a hermaphrodite, Ecphora would hardly interact or live with more of its kind.
How long does an Ecphora live?
The genus Ecphora, like other muricid gastropods, had an average life span of about four years.
How do they reproduce?
The genus, according to research, was capable of both internal and external fertilization - which makes them stand out! Since there were males, females, and hermaphrodites, scientists find the specimens of any species of Ecphora to be quite interesting.
What is their conservation status?
Ecphoras are now extinct, although, their fossils can still be seen to wash up against the shores of Maryland and Virginia.
Ecphora Fun Facts
What do Ecphoras look like?
Ecphoras were beautiful creatures - whose fossils we cherish today as a reminder of the past. This species is known to usually have a dirty orange or brown-colored shell - with four prominent ridges or ribs on it. They are also characterized by their particularly wide umbilicus.
How cute are they?
To someone who has an eye for shells and is mesmerized by the historical significance that they carry, all the species of Ecphora are very cute! Their sizes range anywhere between 0.6-4 in (1.5-10 cm) - which gives collectors the opportunity to amuse themselves for years.
The fossil shell of Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae wilson, in particular, has a distinct beauty about itself.
How do they communicate?
It is known that the animals within the class of gastropods do fertilize internally sometimes - which means that the species of Ecphora would also require some communication in order to mate. There are studies that suggest that the tentacles of our friendly gastropods are capable of detecting vibrations, but there is no conclusive evidence.
How big is an Ecphora?
The Ecphora fossil shells can be as tiny as 0.6 in (1.5 cm) and go up to be as big as 4 in (10.16 cm). To put it into perspective, the biggest Ecphora fossils are as big as a common crab!
Variation in size exists due to the various subspecies of the genus.
It is also interesting how the specimens of Ecphora quadricostata found in Maryland and Virginia differ from each other even though they are of the same species and belong to the Miocene age.
It is safe to say that the ancestors of the slugs and snails we see commonly were fairly diverse in and across their species due to the place and era of their formation.
How fast can an Ecphora move?
Like all other gastropods, the entire genus of Ecphora can be identified by their muscular legs, slimy skin, and very cute tentacles on their heads.
What comes with the slime on their skin and their thickly lined feet is slow mobility. The entire class is fairly uniform when it comes to their locomotion.
While the slugs we see today move around our porch on a rainy day, we can picture Ecphora gardnerae or subspecies such as Ecphora meganae slowly moving towards their prey in the marine bottoms of coastal Maryland.
How much does an Ecphora weigh?
While an accurate estimation of the weight is unavailable, studies show that the fossil shell of Ecphora is fairly fragile. The fragility of the shell could be due to the fact that they are from a million years ago and have undergone decay, but the weight is assumed to be around 0.05-0.09 lb (22-40 g).
That's pretty light, isn't it?
What are the male and female names of the species?
It is exciting to note that the entire class of gastropods is known to have not just males and females, but also hermaphrodites - all of which roughly have the same structure of the shell. Ecphora gardneraeand Ecphora quadricostatado not have designated names to identify the different sexes, which can be quite confusing!
What would you call a baby Ecphora?
All the species and subspecies of Ecphora maintain a uniform name - which is, Ecphora!
What do they eat?
The Ecphora preyed on tiny bivalves and barnacles such as oysters and clams. They perforate the shell of their prey through a softening secretion and acquire the flesh inside. Pretty cool, right?
Are they poisonous?
While the shell-softening secretion of the Ecphora gardneraeand Ecphora quadricostatacan be quite intimidating, there is no conclusive study that would suggest that they are poisonous to humans. Also, these species of Ecphora are extinct, so why worry?
Would they make a good pet?
Considering that these animals were adapted to the marine ecosystem, it is hard to believe that they would make good pets. However, you can always have a shell or two in your collection to reminisce about the Miocene and Pliocene ages!
Did you know...
Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae wilson fossils wash up on the shores of Maryland so often that it has been termed as the Official State Fossil Shell!
On a particularly hot day when you happen to plan a vacation with your family along the shores of Maryland or Virginia, you can expect to find a fossil or two on the beach as a keepsake.
Why did they go extinct?
The Ecphora gardnerae and subgenus Stenomphalus of the Miocene to Pliocene ages are understood to have gone extinct due to the competition they faced in the form of murex.
What species come under Ecphora?
The different species that come under Ecphora are Ecphora gardnerae, Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae wilson,andEcphora quadricostata.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other gastropods from our blue sea slug facts and whelk fun facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable ecphora coloring pages.
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