columella
shell structure
Quick Summary
The columella is a central axis around which the calcareous shell of a typical snail coils. This axis is secreted by the mantle, a fleshy part of the animal. In gastropod mollusks, a columellar muscle originates on the columella and serves to retract the animal into its shell. The family Columbellidae, also known as dove shells, consists of marine gastropods with thick, spindle-shaped shells. These shells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate and an organic matrix.12345
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