BALER SHELL | MELON SHELL Photos, info, commercial fishery

Baler Shell - Melo amphora (northern Baler), Melo miltonis (southern baler) Photographs and Information

Bailer or Baler shells are large marine molluscs (sea snails) and they can reach sizes over 40cm in length. The shells of balers have attractive patterns. However, even more striking is the brown slug-like foot, which has intricate patterns of white lines.

Also known as Melon Shell or Melo Shell. Zidoninae spp.

AQIS Code: BLS

Bailer or Baler shells are large marine molluscs (sea snails) and they can reach sizes over 40cm in length. The shells of balers have attractive patterns. However, even more striking is the brown slug-like foot, which has intricate patterns of white lines.

photo of melon shell, melo shell, bailer shell, baler shell

They get their name from being used by many native people and fishermen around the world to bail (scoop) water out of boats and canoes. They are found in Australia from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands to South Australia and north around the Western Australian coast, across the Northern Territory coast to Queensland.

They are carnivorous and feed on other mulluscs such as scallops, tritons and turban shells. They are generally nocturnal (active at night) animals that hunt for their food on sandy bottoms. By day they usually bury themselves in the sand.

Bailer Shells have very beautiful markings and are often caught for their shells which are used as ornaments and also carved into jewellery and prized in shell collections.

map showing where in Australian waters baler shells, bailer shells, melon shells are found

Scientific Name	Melo amphora (northern Baler) Melo miltonis (southern baler)
Location	in Australia from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands to South Australia and north around the Western Australian coast, across the Northern Territory coast to Queensland
Size	to 40 cm in length

Commercial Fishery, Melon, Bailer Shell Information & Melon Shell Pearls:

Shells are generally collected by hand or by using hand-operated shell dredges.

The marine snail, or Bailer Shell, produces the melo pearl in response to irritation, but without nacre. The animal is used for food and the shells are sold for a variety of uses. Boiling ruins the pearls, but since their prices are well known to most fishermen, the animal is searched carefully

Read more about Commercial Fishery for Baler Shells and Bailer Shell Pearl Information here

Baler Shell - Melo amphora (northern Baler), Melo miltonis (southern baler) Photographs and Information

Commercial Fishery, Melon, Bailer Shell Information & Melon Shell Pearls:

**Baler Shell - Melo amphora (northern Baler), Melo miltonis (southern baler) Photographs and Information**