The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

This is where you discuss shells for your hermit crabs. Not for selling/swapping shells, use Classified Ads for that.
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wolfnipplechips
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The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by wolfnipplechips » Mon Nov 21, 2011 1:44 am

I know in the past I have seen people ask about ratios between shell length and shell opening. I had the idea to compare these aspects to build sort of a guide and set some standard ratios. This would allow people to buy shells from other places like ebay or other sites where only the length of the shell is listed. This is not intended to steer people away from sites that specialize in hermit crab shells, but to just expand our options since some shells our crabs like are not sold commercially, and some sizes are also not sold commercially. Certain shells are only available from collectors, and will be sold by length, not shell opening.

Hopefully these charts will help you decide which length will give you the correct opening size. Many hours were spent carefully measuring and graphing, and I would like to give a big thanks to Wodesorel who donated her time to measure out her shells, as well! And another thanks to Mokulele_Hawai'i, who listed several latin names of hard-to-ID shells on the shell guide sticky.

Not every shell species is represented. If the sample size was too small (less than about 4), I left it out. If I felt certain species were similar enough to be combined, I combined them.

How to measure a shell:
The length is measured at the widest point, which includes all siphon canals, spines, etc.
The opening is measured as the usable space by the crab, so do not include the thickness of the shell or siphon canals in your measurement.

I've included a mm graph and an inch graph. Most collectors will use mm or cm in shell collecting even in the U.S. where we still cling to standard. We know that these shell relationships are not always linear, but the common ranges we buy them in are usually linear, so that is why a line is fitted to them.

How to read/use the graphs:
Based on the shell sample (red circles), the bold black line shows the average shell length for a corresponding shell opening. The inner set of dashed lines gives an estimate of the accuracy of the black line. Ideally, if enough shells are sampled, and if shell length for a given shell opening is not too variable or scattered, these lines will form a narrow band around the black line. This means that we can be relatively confident that the average line is accurate. It is clear in some graphs that the average line fits the shell data well, and in other graphs the shell data are too variable to be able to provide an accurate measure of the average shell length for shell opening. If the inner dashed lines are far apart, it means the shells are too variable and/or not enough shells were sampled, so the average length (black line) cannot be estimated from the opening very well. The black line is only a representation of the average shell lengths (which is why it goes through the points). So for any individual shell that is examined, the shell length will be shorter or longer (above or below the black line on the graph), but on average a bunch of shells will follow the black line. The equation for the line is available at the bottom of some of the graphs, the ones where the line was able to be measured accurately.

The wider space between the outer dashed lines show where about 95% of shell lengths are likely to be for corresponding shell openings. These outer lines are used to show, based on the sample data, where any single shell is probably going to be. So, if you go an pick up a shell with a certain opening, it is very likely to be between the outer dashed lines. If you sample a whole bunch of shells with the same size opening, about 95% of them should be between the outer lines. And as more shells are sampled, their overall average length should eventually land somewhere between the inner dashed lines.

To try it out, plug the value for the opening into the equation for the line (on a calculator) and get the length! :D But keep in mind, the equation is an AVERAGE. You'll likely get a different length every time, but on AVERAGE they will follow the graph. Or you can find the opening size you want, and see what length it corresponds to...or vice versa.

Common names: Magpie, Pica
Latin name: Cittarium Pica
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Common name: Tapestry turbo, spotted turbo, comes in other carved forms as well.
Latin name: Turbo petholatus
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Common names: Cammo turbo, Camo turbo; Jade turbo
Latin names: Turbo Marmoratus; T. Imperialis
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Common names: Striped turbo, Mexican turbo
Latin name: Turbo Fluctuosus
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Common names: Green turbo, calico turbo, silvermouth, goldmouth
Latin names: Turbo argyrostomus, T.setosus, T.sparverius, T.tumidulus
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Common name: Various Thais species.
Latin names: Thais biserialis, T. orbita, T. haemastoma, T. speciosa
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Common name: None
Latin name: Pugilina cochlidium
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Common name: Fox shell, striped fox, horse conch
Latin name: Pleuroploca trapezium
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Common name: Apple Murex
Latin name: Phyllonotus Pomum
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Common names: Virgin murex, pink murex, white murex, black murex (various murex species that were similar proportions.)
Latin names: Chicoreus virgineus, Hexaplex (Muricanthus) erythrostomus, Murex ramosus, Hexaplex nigritus
Photos:
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Common names: Moon snails, shark eye, whales eye
Latin names: Euspira lewisii, Cryptonarctica affinis, Polinices duplicatus, Neverita didyma
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Common names: Fiber conch, crown conch, striped conch
Latin name: Melongena melongena
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Common name: None
Latin name: Macron aethiops
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Common name: None
Latin name: Littoraria zebra
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Common name: Tulip
Latin name: Fasciolaria tulipa
Photos:
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Common name: Fusi
Latin name: Fasciolaria filamentosa
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Common name: None
Latin name: Cantharus Melanostomus
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Common name: Frog shell (1st type)
Latin name: Bursa rubeta
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Common name: Frog shell (2nd type)
Latin name: Bursa rana
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Common name: Various babylonia, giraffe shell
Latin names: Babylonia areolata, B. Spirata
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Common name: Japanese land snail shell, fairy snail
Latin name: Achatina Fuica (???)
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P.S.- Not sure if this should be a sticky or not? I guess we'll see how it works out? Didn't want to abuse my mod powers and put it as a sticky when it shouldn't be. I'll let somebody else decide.
Crabby since May 2009
Hermit Crab Food Store: http://alaskahermit.com/
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fate4003
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by fate4003 » Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:04 am

That is amazing work! Thank you!!

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wodesorel
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by wodesorel » Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:49 am

I'll sticky this, then! :D

Wow, I knew it would be cool, but you really went above and beyond with the graphs. I also wasn't expecting so many different species! I hope that this will help everyone find the right shell when ordering from places that don't give opening sizes. :)
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NeviNuNu
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by NeviNuNu » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:34 am

Thank you so much!!! This is def one of those stickys that I will come back and reference often!!!! Great job!!!!
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CrabbyMom33
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by CrabbyMom33 » Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:13 pm

Wow! That is a great deal of valuable information. Thank you to those of you who contributed!
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Rocky
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by Rocky » Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:25 pm

Really incredible :D your hard work shows! Thank you!
We're not asked to do great things, we're asked to do all things with great care.
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milpreve
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by milpreve » Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:17 am

This is amazing! The only addition I could think to add is if certain species tend to prefer certain types? I had heard that PPs like rounder openings, for example, but I don't know if that is the case. My PPs all came that way, so I bought them shells similar to what they had.
Visit my etsy store Hello, Hermit Crab! for hemp nets, shell bowls, and other crab supplies!

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wolfnipplechips
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by wolfnipplechips » Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:18 am

milpreve wrote:This is amazing! The only addition I could think to add is if certain species tend to prefer certain types? I had heard that PPs like rounder openings, for example, but I don't know if that is the case. My PPs all came that way, so I bought them shells similar to what they had.

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=48249 8) Recently updated by me.
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Pets: crabs, cats, lizards, flesh eating beetles, isopods, betta fish

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milpreve
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by milpreve » Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:36 am

Yay! Thank you!
Visit my etsy store Hello, Hermit Crab! for hemp nets, shell bowls, and other crab supplies!

3 C. clypeatus: Antonio, Pyotr, and Johann

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spotsy99
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by spotsy99 » Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:08 pm

I just checked this out today. Awesome!!! Thank you to everyone that worked so hard on this.

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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by HermitCrabingrid » Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:48 pm

This is cool

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zippity
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by zippity » Fri Sep 21, 2012 4:23 pm

Thank you so very much for all your work, Wodesorel, Wolfnipplechips, and Mr. Wolfnipplechips; these photos and charts have been extremely helpful as I was a bit lost when I realized Moose has outgrown all but two shells. :oops: He's close to jumbo-sized now...

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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by wyldaeval » Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:00 pm

zippity wrote:Thank you so very much for all your work, Wodesorel, Wolfnipplechips, and Mr. Wolfnipplechips; these photos and charts have been extremely helpful as I was a bit lost when I realized Moose has outgrown all but two shells. :oops: He's close to jumbo-sized now...
Ditto!!!! Awesome job! This is so helpful and obviously took a lot of time to formulate. Thank you so much for all your hard work! :clap:
Life is all about how you handle "plan B".
First introduced to hermit crabs while stationed on Guam back in the 70's.

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Someoneman
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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by Someoneman » Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:07 pm

Photobucket kicked the bucket. Looks like you have to find a new host for those pictures.

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Re: The Shell Project: Length vs. Opening

Post by soilentgringa » Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:13 pm

Someoneman wrote:Photobucket kicked the bucket. Looks like you have to find a new host for those pictures.
We are aware and Wolf is recovering as many of her images as she can.

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