About Phalium glaucum (Linnaeus, 1758)
The shells of the sea snail Phalium glaucum reach lengths between 60 and 147 millimeters, or 2.4 to 5.8 inches. These shells are helmet-shaped, with a large body whorl and very small spires. The shell surface is smooth and colored a uniform greyish or pale brown. The soft body of Phalium glaucum is white, with a large yellowish or whitish foot edged in reddish brown. The operculum of this species is bright yellow and fan-shaped. Individuals of this sea snail usually bury themselves in sandy areas, leaving their long siphon sticking out from the sand. Phalium glaucum is widespread across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from Eastern Africa (including Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania) east to Southern Japan and Melanesia. This species lives on sandy bottoms with seagrass meadows, in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas down to a depth of approximately 10 meters.
