Facts: The Giant Triton (Triton's Trumpet)

The triton's trumpet, or giant triton, is a species of very large sea snail. The snails are found in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific, including Hawaii. They live near coral reefs. Their large shell has a pointed spire. The shell is cream colored, with brown crescents and blotches. These snails have been collected for centuries for food as well as for their beautiful shell. The shell can be modified to use as a trumpet. Because of their pretty shell, they are frequently overcollected and they already occur naturally at low densities. The giant triton has a well-developed head, with eyes and tentacles, along with a mouth on the end of a long, protractable tube called a proboscis. The snails can crawl around with the use of their muscular foot. Inside the shell is a soft body mass that contains the internal organs. Giant tritons are generally considered nocturnal, hiding in crevices during the day. They prey on large echinoderms, such as cushion stars, sea urchins, and the infamous coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. When in close proximity, the snails' fully extended proboscis perforates the outer skin of the prey, targeting its central disc. Rapid paralysis is induced by injection with either a toxin or acidic saliva. Once paralyzed, the prey is held firm by the large muscular foot and completely enveloped in a thick mucus. The snail bores through the prey's skeleton with radular teeth in order to reach the soft tissue inside. Sexes are separate in giant tritons, and fertilization is internal. A female lays a cluster of egg capsules. The capsules are attached to the ceiling of a crevice or cave. Eventually, young larvae hatch and drift with the currents before settling on the seafloor and developing into juvenile snails. Adults may reach 20 inches long. For more marine facts, click the SUBSCRIBE button!!