Written in SCIENCE he
The sea is full of incredible and mysterious things, as far as we know, scientists have only been able to explore 5% of the oceans, which means that 95% is still unknown. But within that small percentage we already know about creatures like the volcanic snail.
This is a species found in various underwater volcanic regions and is capable of surviving extreme temperatures.
A snail with an iron shell
The volcanic snail, whose scientific name is Chrysomallon squamiferum, is a gastropod or mollusk that lives in the ocean, detailed in National Geographic.
One of its most surprising characteristics is its shell, as it is made up of 3 layers: the outermost one is made up of iron sulfide, which protects it from predators; the second is made up of soft organic material, which serves as a shock absorber, and the third is made of calcium carbonate.
In addition, on their foot they have scaly armor, also composed of iron sulfide.
Another interesting feature of the volcanic snails is that they live in the volcanic vents (the interior of volcanoes) of the Indian Ocean, which expel hot water that reaches temperatures of approximately 400 ºC; that is, 4 times the temperature necessary to boil this liquid.
An aspect that makes it even more peculiar is that this snail does not feed as such; Instead of consuming another marine animal, it created a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with bacteria that live in its esophagus. This since the snail It offers bacteria a safe habitat while they serve as food.
Endangered specie
Most of these snails have a crimson red body and the scales and shell are obsidian in color.
If the environment is deficient in iron, these latter components will turn a milky hue, which is not good for the species.
In fact, according to the Red List of Threatened Species, Chrysomallon squamiferum is listed as a species in Danger of extinction by deep sea mining.
Currently, the volcanic snail only exists in three hydrothermal vents in India.