Melo Umbilicatus Shell, 9"- 10", Large. Purchased from a Private Collectors Estate Sale these vintage whole shells are among the last of their kind as it is no longer ethical to harvest them. Melos Umbilicatus size range is 9" -10", their origin is the Indo-West Pacific Size, shape and color vary as this is a natural item.
A featured item from our Kennebunkport Collection. One-of-a-kind unique items sourced from the Kennebunk’s in southern Coastal Maine. Bring an authentic piece of nautical or coastal history into your home.
DIMENSIONS: 10" l x " w x 8" dia. sizes are approximate and vary slightly
MATERIALS: Natural Shell whole
FACTS & HISTORY:
The genus Melo, which belongs to the Volute family (Volutidae), includes nine distinct tropical to subtropical species that inhabit the waters around Southeast Asia, the Philippines, portions of Indonesia, and much of Australia.
They are often called “Melon Shells” because their large size and rounded shape with a large aperture remind people of melons. They’re also sometimes called “Baler Shells” because natives of some of the islands may have used these open shells to bail water out of their canoes.
Even though there are few species, their size and shape, the variety of color patterns, and the great variety in form within several of the species (as well as freaks and documented hybridization between species) make this genus a favorite shell genera to collect.
Source: Shell of the Month by Dr Rick Batt
