Description
Rochia nilotica, commonly called the commercial top shell, is a marine gastropod mollusk. It's a sizable, heavy, and conical sea snail, with a shell length ranging from 50mm to 165mm and a diameter of 100mm to 120mm . The shell is thick, has an off-white color with irregular axial reddish stripes, and is found in marine environments like tropical reefs.
Here's a more detailed description:
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Shape: The shell is conical and subperforate, meaning it has a circular opening at the apex.
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Size: It can reach lengths of 50mm to 165mm and diameters of 100mm to 120mm.
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Color: The shell is off-white with large, irregular reddish stripes.
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Surface: The body whorl is smooth, with concave sides above a protruding, acutely rounded, and thickened periphery .
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Other features: The base of the shell is flat and marked with shallow spiral ridges. The aperture (opening) is square-shaped.
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Habitat: It is found in marine environments, particularly tropical reefs.
Rochia nilotica is considered a commercially important species, both as a food source and a source of mother-of-pearl for jewelry and buttons. It is also known as a trochus shell or topshell
