BIRUG 19254 - Cookia sulcata Gastropod

BIRUG19254 is a sea snail from the family Turbinidae and is sometimes colloquially referred to as Cook’s Turban. This family of sea snails was named in 1815 based on the conspiral shape of their shells, which was thought to resemble a turban. As a deposit feeder and grazer, this snail feeds on organic material that drifts from down to the shallow seafloor it inhabits or the plants that grow there. Cookia sulcata can vary in color from dark greens to orange and can grow to about 9cm. This specimen was collected from New Zealand by Sowerby in 1879 and given to the Museum in 1916 by Sir George H. Holcroft. Scanning was performed by Sian Miller using an Artec Spider 3D scanner. Description by Jonathan Kimel.