This great image of a veliger gastropod larva highlights the two velar lobes, or the structures that help stabilize the larva in the water and, through the beating action of minute, hair-like cilia along the edges, assist in bringing food particles to the snail’s mouth.
The photo, taken by Linda Ianiello, is part of the Museum’s exhibition Black Water: Nocturnal Photography of Open-Ocean Mollusks. The exhibit, open from December 10, 2021 through May 5, 2022, displays images of assorted mollusks taken in open water, at night, by Linda and Susan Mears. Learn more about the exhibit here.