Deep in the Indian Ocean, near extremely hot hydrothermal vents, lives an extraordinary species of snail called Chrysomallon squamiferum, commonly known as scaly-foot gastropod. The harsh environment has caused the snail to develop a unique exoskeleton.
Its outer shell is covered with a layer of iron, and its soft fleshy foot that protrudes from under the shell is protected by hard mineralized scales made of iron sulphides.
The scaly-foot gastropod is the only animal on Earth known to utilize iron in this way.
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