Common name : vase shell, spiny vase shell (Vasum muricatum)

Aspect : thick, heavy, and often ornate, more or less turbinate or conical with a large body whorl that dominates the profile; typically 5–15 cm in height; mostly drab in shades of brown, tan, or gray; elongate and long aperture, often as long as or exceeding the body whorl; the outer lip is flared, straight or contoured, with a smooth or denticulate (toothed/ridged) interior; the columella has prominent transverse plaits or folds in the middle; obvious notch or short posterior canal present in most species; thick, corneous and claw-like operculum

Feeding : carnivorous (clams, cockles and polychaete worms)

Environment : distributed in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific region, with some species extending to the Red Sea and eastern Atlantic. They inhabit shallow to moderately deep waters, typically from the intertidal zone to depths of about 100 meters