Astralium lapillus
NameAstralium lapillus
Scientific NameAstralium lapillus
Common NameJewel Star Shell
FamilyTurbinidae
GenusAstralium
Specieslapillus
Geographic DistributionIndo-Pacific, including regions such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia.
Shell Shapeturbinate
Average Size (mm)Typically ranges from 30 to 60 mm in diameter.
Identifying FeaturesKey features include its robust, flattened trochiform shell, the distinctive spiny or nodulose peripheral keel, and the highly nacreous interior. Like other members of its genus, it possesses a calcareous operculum (though not visible in the image).
Raritycommon
Author CitationReeve, 1863
Description
A marine gastropod seashell, robust and somewhat flattened trochiform to turbinate in shape, with a prominent spiny or nodulose peripheral keel. The exterior is typically pale pink to purplish-white, and the interior is distinctly nacreous. The image shows a living specimen, possibly with epibionts, and a commensal organism (likely a worm or small gastropod) emerging from the aperture, not the mollusk itself.
