In fact, the scaly-foot gastropod’s body is so heavily armored that the United States military is currently researching the snail’s defensive layers to try to incorporate them into improved military armor designs.
This type of mollusk was recently discovered in 2001 in the Kairei hydrothermal vent field in the Indian Ocean, and it is the first snail to take such measures to protect itself. Not only do these scaly-foot gastropods have unique shells, but they can also create metal shields in the form of iron-mineral scales around their feet. Each shell layer forms another wall of defense, and the middle layer is especially effective in absorbing mechanical strains as a result of a squeezing attack by an aggressor, such as a crab. The thick middle layer is organic, and the innermost layer is made of a type of calcium carbonate that is common in the shells of mollusks and corals. The outermost shell layer is made of iron sulfides to protect them from the extreme heat of the vent environment. They are the only known animals to incorporate iron sulfides into their bodies, and their unique shells have three layers to sustain them against threats such as a dissolving shell or being hunted by crabs. The scaly-foot gastropod is an incredible deep sea snail that lives in hydrothermal vents, a harsh environment that subjects it to high pressure, extreme temperatures, and high acidity levels.
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