ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Marginella

Okay, kiddo, let's talk about marginella! It's a kind of sea snail that lives in the ocean. You know how a snail moves around with its little foot? Well, marginella also has a foot that it uses to scoot around.

But what's really interesting about marginella is its shell. It's kind of like a little house that the snail carries on its back. The shell is shaped like a long, narrow cone with a spiral shape to it, almost like a seashell ice cream cone.

Now, here's where it gets a bit complicated, so bear with me. The shell of a marginella has a special structure on the inside called a columella. The columella is like a little staircase that the snail uses to move up and down inside the shell. It helps the snail control how much water it takes in and expels wastes.

Another cool thing about the marginella is that it has a long snorkel-like tube that it sticks out of the top of its shell. This tube is called a siphon, and it helps the snail breathe. The siphon is like a straw that sucks in water, pulls out oxygen, and then expels the water again.

So, that's marginella for you! It's a pretty amazing creature that lives in the ocean and has a unique shell structure and a handy siphon for breathing.