Slipper Shells

Slipper Shell

Crepidula fornicata

Size: to 0.8 - 2 "

Habitat: attached to solid surfaces, often other larger shells

Notes:

Although the dead empty shells superficially resemble bivalves, Slipper Shells are actually extremely flattened snails. The living animal has only a single uncoiled shell, and lives under it attached to a hard surface. A small shelf inside gives these odd animals their name. The illustration shows the shell from above on the left and from below on the right. Slipper shells are quite commonly attached to the undersides of Sea Scallops, often in stacks. Filter feeders.

Slipper Shell
Slipper shells hitching a ride on a scallop
Herb Segars Photography

2016 Update

Computers and electronics change so fast it is hard to keep up with it. The general recommendations below should hold up pretty well even as the technology races forward.


The dive computer should be considered standard equipment. Diving with a computer will give you more bottom time and more safety margin than crude estimating with dive tables. If you are buying your first set of gear, get a computer rather than analog gauges, and you will not regret it. There is a great deal of variation in the design and operation of dive computers. Among the choices you can make are:

dive computers
  • air-integrated or not
  • conservative vs. liberal algorithms
  • violation lock-out mode
  • Nitrox-ready or not
  • wrist, console or hose mounted
  • dive logging & PC interface
  • backlighting for night diving
  • auto-on vs. manual-on

Printed from njscuba.net