Snails in the genus Julia have a bivalved shell, like a clam!
Even though they have a clam like shell, with 2 sections, they are in fact snails (class Gastropoda). Julia are marine snails, found throughout the Indo-Pacific. There are 6 species which are various shades of green. They are tiny, only reaching a length of up to 6 mm long. These snails feed on algae, and incorporate the chloroplasts from the algae into their bodies. Some of the chloroplasts remain photosynthetic, and the snails are able to feed on the products of this photosynthesis. This process is called kleptoplasty.
Photos: Julia sp. from Australia - profmollusc | Inaturalist cc; Julia exquisita from Reuinion Island - Alexandre LaPorte | Wikipedia cc
(via quasarkisses)
