About Agaronia gibbosa (Born, 1778)
Agaronia gibbosa (Born, 1778) is a marine gastropod species whose adult shells measure 40–75 mm in length. The shell of this species is heavy and gibbous, with a notably callous columella that is particularly thickened at its upper portion. The spire is also robustly thickened. The base shell color is primarily cream; the body whorl is marked with zigzag and reticulated patterns that range in color from ash-gray to orange and chocolate. The fasciole is yellowish, marked with irregular brown spots. Both the columella and the interior of the aperture are whitish. This species displays considerable variation in shell shape, but large individuals can be distinguished from other Agaronia species by their large spire callus and bulbous shape; most other Agaronia species are narrower and have a distinct bullet-like shape. In its natural, unprocessed state, the outer surface of the shell is usually a blotched greenish color, with a striped yellow band at the siphonal end. The species also occurs in a solid all-yellow variety. This species is common in the shell trade, and dealers often polish away the outer layer of the shell to reveal a brownish-black color underneath. Populations of this marine species are distributed across the Indian Ocean, typically found in waters off the shores of the Indian subcontinent, Thailand, and Indonesia.
