jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Apr 15, 2013 6:18:25 GMT -5
Tumbled some Florida silicified oyster rejects.They looked so pitted was going to chunk them.The unknown tubes actually enhanced them.Does anyone know what caused these tubes/tunnels/borings? These whole pieces would best be sawn on a trim saw A piece broken off shows the tubes Should make some crazy cabs.These are not as common as the oysters without the tubes... Here are some more silicified oysters some with 'tubes' The top oyster is as they are out of the wild.I accidentally tumbled one and found they were silicified under that thick coating of calcium carb.
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Post by kk on Apr 15, 2013 6:57:05 GMT -5
Whoa, those look certainly interesting. If you can manage cabs with directional break-through, they would be absolutely astonishing.
I suppose, undercutting is a hassle?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Apr 15, 2013 7:57:23 GMT -5
I see your point kk.Do you think a little 6 inch trim saw and careful cutting would extract the tubes?What do you mean by undercutting kk? It is funny that i did not know these had such silicification inside.I just grabbed a few.They were pretty common.Next trip i will load up.I saw some at another location wtih heavy iron staining;they should be real nice in color variation. An example of iron.This is top view.Tubes are seen from side...
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 15, 2013 18:11:27 GMT -5
There are gastropods ( snails) known as Oyster Drills that use their radula to bore into the shells of living oysters and eat their insides. Drill holes I've seen in modern oysters go pretty much straight in though. Several kids of tube worms build their shells on the outside of the oysters but are not parasites that bore inside. I think what you're seeing there are the burrows of boring sponges that parasitize oysters....Mel
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Apr 15, 2013 22:05:09 GMT -5
So many shells i find on the beach have similar borings of various shapes and diameters Mel.Quite a variety,where barnacles,small clams,anemones,etc leave anchor marks.Then there are borers of various sizes.Maybe the drill holes will be make wild patterns.More weird stuff to hunt.I heat treated a few and got wild color reactions from mineral absorption around the holes. By the way,those silicified snails you recently tumbled looked as if they had iron related colors in some of them.Can you tell me if they have yellow/brown/red colors?
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Post by Pat on Apr 15, 2013 23:57:25 GMT -5
I love tube agate! Interesting stuff!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Apr 16, 2013 7:07:52 GMT -5
Since these tubes are made by worms they are special.Have you done anything w/the Sowbelly, Pat?
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Post by Pat on Apr 16, 2013 13:31:15 GMT -5
James, yes, I cleaned out the muddy/sandy/shelly center, and updated the post. Good to know what's in there even if it is nothing special.
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 16, 2013 16:02:45 GMT -5
James, I guess you misunderstoood me. I think most the tunnels you are seeing in your shells are the work of parasitic boring sponges. Worm tubes tend to be only on the exterior of oyster shells while the sponges actually eat tunnels into the shell itself.
The red stains in the Goniobasis shells you asked about are iron related. That part of Wyoming is known as the red desert because of the red iron rich soils.....Mel
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Apr 16, 2013 22:45:17 GMT -5
Thanks for setting straight.Sponges sound harmless,but not!I will look on ebay for those Goniobasis.They must be heat treated;may be a nice reaction.Thanks again.
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