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Snail, White Whelk (Haustrum lacunosum)

Scientific name:

Haustrum lacunosum

Maori name:

Ngaeo

Other names:

Ngaeo
Snail-Whelk, White (Haustrum lacunosum)

Category:

Invertebrate

Phylum:

Mollusca

Class:

Gastropoda

Family:

Muricidae

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Common habitat(s):

Rocky Shore Intertidal

Other information:

Feeding:

Predator

Distribution:

New Zealand

Edibility:

Unknown Edibility

Size:

Coin Sized

Identification:

This shell is buff white but the aperture can be tinged with purple.It has a taller spire (point) and thick cords separated by narrow grooves. The spiral whorls have three spiral ridges.

Habitat:

Common on exposed or sheltered rocky shores in southern NZ in the mid to lower intertidal zone.

Diet:

It is a predator feeding mainly on other molluscs.

Lifestyle:

Notes:

References:

NZ Coastal Marine Invertebrates; Vol 1