Description
About the Murex haustellum shell
The Murex haustellum shell is the snipe’s bill murex, Haustellum haustellum, and it is unmistakable. The body of the shell is compact, but the siphonal canal draws out into a long, slender tail. As a result, it has one of the most elegant silhouettes of any shell we stock.
The shell carries only low knobs rather than long spines, with brown flecks on a cream ground. It is a medium-sized shell, and the tail makes it look larger than it is.
We sell it singly at 50 cents. Because each shell is a natural object, expect slight variation in colour and in the length of the tail.
Shells travel in the same box as your plants, so they add almost nothing to shipping on a normal order.
For a shop, this is the shell that makes people stop. Set a small plant in the aperture, and then lay the shell on its side so the tail sweeps across the shelf. It looks like a piece of sculpture for less than a dollar in hardware.
Using the Murex haustellum shell with air plants
The aperture takes a small plant, for example a small ionantha, a funckiana or a young stricta. Set the plant in with the base just inside the lip. Then fix it with a dab of E-6000 Tillandsia Glue if the shell will hang or stand on its tail. On a table, the shell lies naturally on its side with the tail out. Alternatively, drill a small hole and hang it with fishing line, or set it in a Seashell Tillandsia Hanger net. Mist the plant in place, because the aperture drains. Lift it out every couple of weeks for a full soak and let it dry before it returns.
- Fits: One small plant, for example ionantha, funckiana or young stricta.
- Mounting: Set in the aperture, then glue if it will hang.
- Watering: Mist in place, or lift out to soak.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer in the soak.
- Placement: Shelf or table in bright indirect light.
- Care of the shell: The tail is delicate, so handle it by the body.
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