Gibberulus gibberulus

Gibberulus gibberulus, called the humpbacked conch, is a marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the true conch family, Strombidae. Its shell, which ranges from 30 to 70 mm in adult size, is smooth and gibbous (hump-shaped). The spire may occasionally show varices. The body whorl has a grooved base, and the columella is smooth.

Inside the aperture, the surface is marked with radiating striae. The shell’s coloration is mottled with yellowish brown and white, often arranged in hieroglyphic-like patterns that form interrupted revolving bands. The aperture itself is tinted violaceous, scarlet, or dark purplish brown.

Two subspecies are recognized: Gibberulus gibberulus albus and Gibberulus gibberulus gibberulus. A third form, Gibberulus gibberulus gibbosus, is considered a synonym of Gibberulus gibbosus and Lambis gibbosa.

This species is found in the Red Sea, across the Indian Ocean (off Aldabra, Chagos, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, and Tanzania), and in the Pacific Ocean near Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia).