A behind-the-scenes look at our volute collectionPhoto Galleries | Updated 8 years ago Baler shell specimens collected in Indonesia; species Melo aethiopicaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in Indonesia; species Melo aethiopicaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in Yampi Sound, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in Yampi Sound, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimens collected in Admiral Bay, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in Admiral Bay, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimens collected in Shark Bay, WA; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimens collected in Admiral Bay, WA; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in the Dampier Archipelago, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in the Dampier Archipelago, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen which belongs to the species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Juveniles from the egg case of a Baler shell; species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Juveniles from the egg case of a Baler shell; species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Internal fossil of a Volute found in sand dunes of Exmouth Gulf, WA; family VolutidaePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Egg case of a Baler shell, with some eggs still in place; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum #1 In Australia trade and export of baler shells are regulated and requires a shell license. However, a smuggler tried to leave the country with this beautiful specimen in his luggage although he did not have the required license.Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum #2 This large Melo amphora specimen was seized by Australian customs in 1989 and sent to the WA Museum. Unfortunately, data about the origin is missing and this specimen cannot be used for research in marine biology.Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum #3 During all its life, the mollusc works to keep its shell clean, removing other marine animals which attach outside or even inside the shell. After the mollusc’s death the shell is no longer cleaned, and it may become dirty.Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum #4 In this case, we can note that the shell is totally clean, which means that this specimen was collected alive.Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum #5 Look at our Curator of Molluscs holding this large specimen! The name “Baler shell” was given by European settlers seeing Aboriginal people use this huge shell as a scoop to bail out their boats and canoes or to store water.Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum #6 This specimen’s size is particularly impressive: the stolen baler shell is as big as the largest marine snail in the world, the Australian Giant Conch!Photo by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected alive in North Mole, Fremantle, WA; species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimens which belong to the species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimens which belong to the species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen which belongs to the species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected near Singapore in 1881; species Melo meloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen which belongs to the species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen which belongs to the species Melo miltonisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimens which belong to the genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute storage in the dry store section of our mollusc collectionPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volutes storage in the dry store section of our mollusc collectionPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell collected in the Dampier Archipelago, WA; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen; genus MeloPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in Lacepedes Islands, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Baler shell specimen collected in Lacepedes Islands, WA; species Melo amphoraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Queensland; species Cymbiolacca complexaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Queensland; species Cymbiolacca complexaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens purchased in 1978 in Keppel Bay, QLD; species Voluta pulchraPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens collected in Province of Bohol, Philippines; species Cymbiola vespertilioPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens collected in Province of Bohol, Philippines; species Cymbiola vespertilioPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens collected in Province of Bohol, Philippines; species Cymbiola vespertilioPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; species Cymbiola rutila, commonly known as Blood-Red VolutePhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Papua New guinea; species Cymbiola rutilaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens collected in Papua New guinea; species Cymbiola rutilaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Broome, WA; species Cymbiola oblitaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens seized by Australian customs in 1989; species Cymbiola oblitaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens which belong to the species Cymbiola nivosaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Singapore; species Volutocorona nobilisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Malaysia; species Voluta nobilisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in Malaysia; species Voluta nobilisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen which belongs to the species Cymbiola magnificaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen which belongs to the species Cymbiola magnificaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in the north of Southport, QLD; species Cymbiola magnificaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in the north of Southport, QLD; species Cymbiola magnificaPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen collected in North Western Australia; species Voluta (Cymbiola) flavicansPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen which belongs to the species Voluta (Cymbiola) flavicansPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens which belong to the species Volutocorona imperialisPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen seized by Australian customs in the Northern Territory in 1989; species Voluta bednalliPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimen seized by Australian customs in the Northern Territory in 1989; species Voluta bednalliPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Dead volute stained by anoxic sediments identified as Amoria undulataPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Dead volute stained by anoxic sediments identified as Amoria undulataPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens seized by Australian customs in 1989; species Amoria undulataPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens collected in Broome, WA; species Amoria damoniPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum Volute specimens collected in North Western Australia; species Amoria elliotiPhoto by Jessica Scholle, image copyright WA Museum The common name Volutes refers to the taxonomic family Volutidae, a family of predatory sea snails. These marine gastropod molluscs mostly occur in tropical seas, though some species inhabit the cold polar waters. Of the 200 species of volutes distributed worldwide, around 70 are known from Australia; many of those from Western Australian are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. Their glossy and large shell adorned with attractive patterns make this family very prized in shell collections. Indeed some volutes can reach over 50 centimetres and the largest shells were used as scoops by Aboriginal people to bail out their boats or store water! Through this photos gallery of our volute collection, discover the substantial diversity in shapes and patterns of the gastropod family Volutidae. The WA Museum would like to thank Hugh Morisson, Molluscs Honorary Research Associate, who assisted with some specimen identifications.