Portal:Gastropods/Selected picture/22

The image shows five different views of one shell of the sea snail species Melo aethiopica, one of the bailer shells. This snail is a tropical species that is very large and predatory.

The shell is almost spherical in overall shape with a very large aperture and a low spire. The shell of this species is in demand as a decorative object, and thus is part of the international shell trade.