Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2291657
Giant Canoe-bubble
Scaphander punctostriatusAlso known as Punctate Canoe Bubble, Giant Canoe Shell
Giant canoe-bubbles plow through soft, deep-sea mud using a broad cephalic headshield that acts like an underwater bulldozer. Equipped with an internal muscular gizzard lined with heavy calcified plates, they swallow hard-shelled invertebrates whole and crush them before digestion. Inhabitants of bathyal depths across the North Atlantic, they leave winding trails in fine sediment where daylight never penetrates.
Deep-seaBenthicCarnivorous
Licensed referenceMNHN, Paris - Manuel CABALLER - 2014 / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Foraminifera
- Tusk shells
- Small bivalves
Predators
- Demersal fish
- Sea stars
- Crabs
ThreatsBottom trawling, marine pollution, and ocean acidification
HabitatsMuddy continental shelves and deep bathyal slopes
Life span2–5 years
Classification
- FamilyScaphandridae
- SpeciesScaphander punctostriatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Specimen examination: Inspect empty washed-up or dredged shells with a hand lens to see the fine pitted spiral grooves.
- Benthic research: Observe live specimens via deep-water submersibles or specialized marine invertebrate survey tanks.
Image unavailablePrey 
Predator NOAA / Public Domain (NOAA) · Public Domain (NOAA)
Close Relative (c) Manuel Antonio E. Malaquias/Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, Universitetet i Bergen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Order Relative seascapeza / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.