Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Bubble Shell Bullina lineata
The pale spiral shell of the bubble shell (also known as the red-lined bubble shell) has a distinctive pattern of pinkish red lines by which it can be identified. Its soft body parts are delicate and translucent with a fluorescent blue margin and, in form, reminiscent of the Spanish dancer, which is a close relative that has lost its shell. If threatened, the bubble shell quickly withdraws into its shell and at the same time regurgitates food, possibly as a defense mechanism to distract predators. The bubble shell is itself a voracious predator, feeding on sedentary polychaete worms. This mollusk is hermaphroditic and produces characteristic spiral white egg masses.
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- Class Gastropoda
- Length 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Habitat Sand, reefs to 65 ft (20 m), mainly intertidal; subtidal at range limits
- Distribution Tropical and subtropical waters of Indian Ocean and west Pacific
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