Lentigo lentiginosus

Lentigo lentiginosus, called the silver conch, is a medium-sized marine snail belonging to the true conch family, Strombidae. Its shell is notably heavy and thick, reaching a maximum length of 100 mm, though it more commonly grows to about 75 mm. The adult shell features a deep stromboid notch and a flared outer lip that is very thick and expands toward the rear.

The columella projects forward, and the siphonal canal is convex. The body whorl has an irregular surface, decorated with spiral cords and rows of blunt tubercles that form raised knobs along the shoulder. The inner lip is smooth and bears a large callus that often spreads over the spire and body whorl. The spire is tall, and each whorl carries a row of heavy knobs and grooves that nearly overlap each other.

Shell color is mostly white, with large, irregular brown blotches and dots scattered across the surface. The columellar callus has a faint silvery gloss. The outer lip’s lateral margin shows a series of tan blotches, while the interior of the aperture is pink to orange, fading toward the edges.

This species is widespread across the Indo-Pacific, ranging from East Africa—including Aldabra, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Tanzania—to eastern Polynesia, as well as southern Japan and northern Australia. It lives on coral and sandy bottoms in clear water, commonly found on barrier or lagoon reefs in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones down to about 4 meters depth.

It is rarely seen buried in sand. Like other species formerly placed in the genus Strombus, it is a herbivore. Humans use the flesh as food, and the shell is collected for shellcraft, often sold in local markets around the central Philippines.