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photo

A Snail's Rainbow Radula

A close-up of tiny teeth on the common whelk's radula.
David Maitland / Nikon Small World

This abstract image is a close-up of the tiny teeth that cover the radula of a common whelk (Buccinum undatum). A radula is a tongue-like ribbon that helps the snail scrape or cut its food before it swallows it. The image, taken at 200x zoom, was an honorable mention in the 2013 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition.

Tags: Anatomy Feeding Mussels, Oysters & Relatives Photography Under the microscope

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