Triton lays a family at aquarium

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, January 17, 2013

Lots of egg laying going on at the SEASIDE AQUARIUM! The aquariums Facebook page proclaims (www.facebook.com/SeasideAquarium). The photo shown is courtesy the aquarium.

Heres the explanation: OREGON TRITONS lay eggs on vertical surfaces and under rock ledges. The eggs are placed in rectangular capsules in a spiral pattern. Each capsule contains 1,600 to 2,000 eggs. The eggs, or sea corn are laid one by one in an ever widening circle. The female triton will brood her eggs for a period of eight to nine weeks, until all are hatched, to protect them from being eaten by other invertebrates, especially sea urchins.

The Ear had never heard of the triton, Fusitriton oregonensis, which looks like a hairy periwinkle, so consulted Mr. Wikipedia (http://tinyurl.com/tritonor), which says the shells are three to five inches long. The snails larvae have the fascinating capability of being able to delay metamorphosis for over four years until presented with appropriate habitat … According to some authorities, four years is long enough to drift completely across the Pacific Ocean.

And lastly, a trivia gem: The Oregon hairy triton was declared the state seashell of Oregon by the 65th Legislative Assembly in 1989.

Elleda Wilson