Seashells: the plainness and beauty of their mathematical description

Examples: Gastropods

Giant Tun (barrel shape, [2, p. 88])

[alpha=82, beta=2, phi=-56, mu=1, Omega=10, A=46, a=38, b=45, L=0]

(Click with the mouse over the picture to rotate it)

The globose and often large shells of this small family are thin, with a low or depressed spire, and very inflated body whorl. Most species can be found living in sand, beyond the edge of the coral reef. The giant tun is widely distributed due to long, free-swimming larval stage.
Habitat: deep water, most seas.

[2] S. Peter Dance, Shells, Dorling Kindersley, 2002.

Last update: 08 Apr 23:40:25 2006

Next | Previous | Index of examples | Back to Index