Shell up to about 4cm in length. The shell is mainly white though often discoloured by bored rock attached to the surface. Periostracum light yellow. Shell is sculptured with concentric ridges and radiating ribs (particularly at the anterior of the shell).
Key identification features
- Front margin drawn out into a beak
- No septa supporting the umbonal inflection
Ecology and behaviour
Bores into slate,linite, chalk, lias, marl, red sandstone and cement stone.
Distribution and status
Extends from the south and south west costs of the British Isles south to the Mediterranean.
The map provided here shows the distribution of the species based on Conchological Society data.