Many shells have wonderfully descriptive names. For example, there's
ARCA ZEBRA, which has stripes and looks like a miniature turkey wing
and is commonly called Turkey Wing. Then there's a scallop called
the Lion's Paw; NERITA PELORONTA, or Bleeding Tooth; and CYPRAEA
CERVINETTA, "little deer cowrie" which resembles a spotted fawn.
(Cowrie is a common name for a kind of shell used as money in parts
of Africa and Asia.)

There are shells named for people: CONUS JULIAE ("Julia's cone
shell"), PLEUROTOMELLA JEFFREYSII ("Jeffrey's Pleurotomella"),
and ACLIS WALLERI ("Waller's Aclis"). Many are named for the place
they were first discovered: UROSALPINX TAMPAENSIS, Tampa Drill;
and IPHIGENIA BRASILIANA, Brazil Clam.

Some shells take their names from flowers: FASCIOLARIA TULIPA,
Tulip Shell. Many get named from mammals--not always too
accurately. CYPRAEA TIGRIS and CYPRAEA ZEBRA both have spots, not
stripes. But CYPRAEA TALPA ("mole cowrie") does look a lot like a
mole. Then there's (let's skip the Latin this time) Magpie Shell,
Mottled Dove Shell, Mouse Cone, Horse Conch, Checkered Pheasant,
and Cuban Frog Shell. There's mythology: Venus, Neptunea, Pandora,
Tritonis. Music: Buccinum ("trumpet"), Citharas ("guitar"), Harpa.
Religion is represented, too. In the genus MITRA are species
PONTIFICALIS, EPISCOPALIS, PAPALIS, and PATRIARCHALIS. Some other
fanciful names are: Great Heart, Jewel, Box, Rising Sun, Checkerboard,
Wood Louse, Writhing Shell, Sundial, Key-Hole Limpet, Red Turban,
and Black Lace Murex. And that's where we stop and draw breath.
You'll find others--there are literally thousands more!

You've got to be a detective. These little animals are the natural