Other crustaceans seen are swimming crabs, rock crabs, and a huge spiny lobster-like animal which inhabits the coral reef at the surf line. This animal is magnificently colored with green and buffy yellow, and posesses antennae thirty inches or more in length―the entire animal exceeding three feet in total length. Coconut crabs were found on Sorlen island during the early weeks of occupation.
Molluscs are abundant at Ulithi and form a sizeable part of the food of many coral reef inhabitants. This group includes such interesting animals as the giant clam, the spider clam, various sea snails including the well known cateye, cowrie, conch, octopus, and clamworm.
The giant clam is the largest known bivalve, sometimes weighing 400 pounds. This species was reportedly responsible for severing an underwater telephone cable between Asor and Sorlen, Early in their development, they are free swimming, but later they attach themselves to a rock and soon become imbedded in the growing coral and moss, retaining only enough space. to permit opening of valves and the exposure of their attractively mantled interior.
The spider clam is interesting mainly because of its strange shape and the color of the shell's interior. It has a single valve or shell member which may be six inches in length, posessing six curved shell processes extending laterally, three on each side. The interior and the lips of the shell are a striking orange and bright red.
The cat-eye is a most interesting and much sought after snail. Especially well known on the southwest and western Pacific islands, it is sought by the natives and servicemen to be used in the making of trinkets. The "cat eye" itself is an operculum or trap door which is snapped shut when the body retracts into the shell. It usually has a convex
36
