Mollusc Gallery

Roman seafood mosaic

Roman seafood mosaic. Mosaics consist of small pieces of coloured glass or stone, used to form an image or pattern on a floor or wall. This marine fauna mosaic is from the House of the Faun, in Pompeii, Italy, and accurately depicts over twenty forms of fish, shellfish and eels. At centre, an octopus attacks a lobster. Surrounding them are dogfish, morays, sea basses, sea breams, mullets, and electric rays. This mosaic is displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Ammonite fossil, SEM

Ammonite fossil, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Ammonites were invertebrates and lived in the sea. They were molluscs that formed a spiral shell to protect their soft body. The lines on the shell mark chambers added as the ammonite grew. It lived in the newest and largest chamber. Shells ranged in width from under 1 centimetre to over 1 metre. Ammonites most closely resemble the present-day nautilus. They first appear in the fossil record around 400 million years ago and became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. Magnification: x30 when printed 10cm wide

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) resting on top of the two halves of an old

Veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) resting on top of the two halves of an old clam shell on the sandy seabed. These octopus regularly carry pieces of shell so they can use them as protective armour if required. Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea

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