These images are courtesy of John Ferlong. The shells were taken from the bottom of sediment at depths of 20-30 feet on the south fringing reef on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. Molokai's exceptional hard coral reef is the longest in Hawaii (26 miles!) and is considered the finest hard coral reef in the northern hemisphere. Each handful sample from the sediment produces hundreds of these tiny shells. Most are perfectly formed and quite colorful. All images were captured using the Moticam X microscope camera.

Mini Cone

Cone Shell