Interior remodeling of the shell by a gastropod mollusc

Abstract

As the Conus shell grows by spiraling of the outer lip around the axis, profound internal shell dissolution thins the walls of the protected penultimate whorl from several millimeters to <50μm. Shell material is added to the inside of the spire and the anterior part of the columella. The resulting shell has a uniformly thick last whorl and thickened spire that enhance defense against crushing predators and a greatly expanded interior living space for the animal.