Carrier shell snails (Xenophora) were occasionally seen during the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition dive to Guayanilla Canyon, cruising across sandy areas. These gastropods get their common name because they cement rocks and other organisms to the outer parts of their shells as they grow.
Carrier Shell Snail
Image courtesy of Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022.
Download largest (jpg, 4.4 MB).

Carrier shell snails (Xenophora) were occasionally seen during the Illuminating Biodiversity in Deep Waters of Puerto Rico 2022 expedition dive to Guayanilla Canyon, cruising across sandy areas. These gastropods get their common name because they cement rocks and other organisms to the outer parts of their shells as they grow.