Turbo Shells Are Great for Hermit Crabs Average Shell Opening is 1 to 1 1/2 inch

Turbo is a genus of large sea snails with gills and an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.

The shells of species in this genus are generally highly coiled and thick, with the initial whorls being bicarinate and the last whorl being large, often adorned with robust spiral sculptures, knobs, or spines. The base is convex and may or may not have an umbilicus. These species feature a round aperture and a sturdy, dome-shaped calcareous operculum. The operculum starts as a multispiral disc similar to that of a Trochus, on which a thin calcareous layer is deposited by a lobe of the foot that partially covers it. This design results in an operculum that displays all the underlying whorls, yet the spiral is only weakly visible or not apparent above due to the widespread distribution of the calcareous substance.

The radula is typically broad and short. It always includes median, lateral, and marginal teeth. The central teeth lack cusps. The median tooth features a narrow, oblong, quadrate basal plate, often accompanied by accessory plates of different shapes, to which the tooth's oval body is attached—a simple, cuspless plate with supporting wings on the sides. The central teeth in this group are often asymmetrical. The lateral teeth, which have supporting wings at their outer edges, vary in shape and may or may not have cusps. The inner marginal teeth are notably large and possess prominent cusps.

The Caribbean hermit crab, Coenobita clypeatus, commonly referred to as the "purple pincher" in the pet trade, often prefers Turbo shells when kept as a domestic pet.

The vibrantly colored operculum from at least two distinct Turbo species is utilized for a variety of decorative applications, such as in jewelry and buttons. These opercula are occasionally referred to as "cat's eyes."

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Subclass: Vetigastropoda

Order: Trochida

Superfamily: Trochoidea

Family: Turbinidae

Genus: Turbo

Linnaeus, 1758

(REF: Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema Naturae, ed. 10, 761; 1767, ed. 12, 1232.)(REF: Bouchet, P.; Rosenberg, G. (2012). Turbo Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species)(REF: G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia)(REF: Alf A., Kreipl K. & Poppe G. T. (2003) The Family Turbinidae, Subfamily Turbininae, Genus Turbo. In: Poppe G. T. & Groh K. (eds.): A Conchological Iconography:)

RIBBED PICA TURBO SHELL

Most are found in warm tropical seas, near coral. The Ribbed Pica Turbo ranges from the Indian Ocean east to the Northern shores of Australia.

The Turbo Pentholatus shell is commonly known as the Tapestry Turban shell, these are thick, heavy shells with a glossy and smooth surface. The lip of the shell is typically yellow, while the color and patterns vary from one shell to another. The Turbo Petholatus usually features a dark brown hue with darker bands, and is blotched and striped with white. Alternatively, some shells may be a greenish-yellow and lack any pattern. The exterior of the operculum is often a bluish-green at the center, referred to as the "cat's eye."

he Turbo petholatus, commonly known as the tapestry turban, is found from the Eastern Indian Ocean to the northern coast of Australia. This species favors tropical seas and tends to inhabit shallow reefs.