About Lambis lambis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Shell description: The maximum shell length of Lambis lambis reaches up to 29 cm, with an average shell length of 18 cm. This species has a very large, robust, heavy shell. One of its most striking features is a flared outer lip, ornamented with six hollow marginal digitations. These digitations have subtle shape differences between the sexes of this species: in males, the three anteriormost digitations are short and bent posteriorly, while in females they are longer and recurved dorsally. Shell color is highly variable. The outer shell surface is white or cream, and often bears brown, purplish, or bluish black patches. The interior of the shell is glazed, and may be pink, orange, or purple. Distribution: This species is widespread across the Indo-West Pacific. Habitat: This sea snail inhabits mangrove areas, reef flats, and coral-rubble bottoms in shallow water ranging from low tide levels to a depth of 5 m. It is typically found living in association with red algae.
