It’s been a long time since I saw a Triton’s Trumpet, so I was happy to spot this one soon after I got into the water recently. However, it didn’t look like it was in a good situation, shell down in the rocks and the opening exposed. I’m not one to interfere with nature too much so I took photos and carried on with my swim. When I returned, I looked for it again and found it right side up and all well.
Triton’s Trumpets are extremely large marine snails. Even when I first saw it, in its precarious position, there was probably no danger. Triton’s Trumpets have no predators in nature. The biggest threat to them is, of course, us humans, who covet them for their very attractive shells.
A downside of this is that these snails are one of the few things that eat Crown-of-Thorns Stars, which are significant destroyers of coral. So going out and buying one of these shells contributes in a direct way to the disappearance of coral reefs.
One thing I have yet to see, but would very much like to see, is a Triton’s Trumpet going after a Crown-of-Thorns Star. That’s because they’re considered to be very speedy snails. Even though a Crown-of-Thorns Star can detect the presence of a Triton’s Trumpet and get a head start, the snail can run it down, moving forward with considerable purpose!
Posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning. See more responses here.
Graham's Island 
A speedy underwater snail sounds like it needs to star in a cartoon! But seriously, a very interesting post, thank you!
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If you click on the links Brian added in the comments, you’ll see it could be a bit of a grizzly cartoon!
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True!
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I can see the fascination of the shells, it is beautiful. I would like to see and bit of devouring. I had to find one
and this
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Congratulations Brian. This is the first post I’ve ever had to approve, I suppose because of the links in it! Cool videos though. Now I have to see it live!
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I have my comment set like that too I think. I didn’t realise how big they were. Aren’t Crown of Thorns absolutely terrified of them
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I don’t have any restrictions on my comments. I think it was a WordPress thing because of the two links. It’s amazing how quickly the Crown of Thorns reacts!
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Ooh that chase would definitely be worth watching.
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Not exactly a horse race, but still…
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what an extraordinary snail – and guess speed is all about perspective
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It is. Not sure I’ve ever seen one move, though I did see one eating a Cushion Star, which is movement of a sort.
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that must have been amazing to see, although the poor Cushion Star – a slow death I guess!
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I think the snail injects its prey with something to subdue them, so it can eat at leisure!
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oh, I am not sure how I feel about this!!
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Nature isn’t all fluffy bunnies and frolicking lambs!
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that’s very true
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It must have been amazing to see one of these Triton Trumpet snails, Graham, 😁
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It had been ages since I last saw one, and this one was in shallow water so I got a good view.
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That’s great 😃
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