Scorpion Conch

Lambis scorpius

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Strombidae
Genus: Lambis
Species: Lambis scorpius

The scorpion conch (Lambis scorpius) is a spider conch with long, knobbly spines along the lip of its shell. The spines resemble a scorpion's legs and tail.

Its shell grows to about 10-15 cm and is often covered in algae, while the aperture is purple and banded. It grazes on algae and moves with a hopping motion using its claw-like operculum.

In the Philippines it is found on reef flats, seagrass and rubble, where its camouflaged shell is easy to miss.

Photo: Debra Baker, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist