About Angaria delphinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
The shell of Angaria delphinus varies in the strength of its sculptured texture, and this variation depends on whether the individual snail lives in an exposed or sheltered environment. These environmentally shaped different forms are known as ecomorphs. Adult shells of this species can grow up to 73 mm in size. The inner surface of the shell is lined with mother of pearl, while the outer shell surface is often covered in short, thick outgrowths that look like hands or fingers. The shell's spire is flattened, and the whorls can have a distinctly angular shape when viewed from above. The shell has a deep umbilicus, and living individuals of this species have a brown, horny operculum. This species occurs in shallow intertidal waters, most commonly on rocky shorelines and in reef flats. It is native to the Central Indo-Pacific region, ranging from Northern Australia and New Caledonia north to Japan, west to the Andaman Sea, and across Southeast Asia.
