This is the Pelican’s Foot Shell (Aporrhais pespelecani), a marine snail in the family Aporrhaidae. It is a benthic gastropod that lives buried in soft seabed sediments.

Location:
Distributed across the eastern Atlantic, from northern Norway and Iceland, along the coasts of the British Isles and western Europe, down to the Mediterranean Sea. It inhabits sublittoral zones with soft sediments.

Average Size:
Adult shells usually reach 40–45 mm in height (from the tip of the spire to the tip of the expanded outer lip) and around 25–30 mm in width. Juveniles and subadults are smaller, and size can vary by population and habitat.

Family:
Aporrhaidae (Pelican‑foot snails)

Species:
Aporrhais pespelecani

Shell Description:
The shell has a tall spire with 8–10 whorls. The most distinctive feature is the expanded outer lip in mature individuals, which spreads into several lobes or “points” resembling a pelican’s webbed foot. The surface is glossy and usually cream to sandy in colour, sometimes with pale brown or purplish tinges. The interior is pearly white.

Habitat:
Lives buried in soft sediments such as mud, muddy sand, and muddy gravel, from shallow sublittoral zones down to about 180 metres. Not typically found on rocky shores or exposed intertidal areas.

Feeding:
Pelican’s Foot Shell is a deposit feeder, ingesting organic detritus and fine plant-derived particles from the sediment, contributing to benthic nutrient cycling.

Movement and Sensory Features:
Mostly sedentary while buried, but can slowly move through sediment using its muscular foot. The expanded outer lip helps stabilise the adult shell within the substrate.

Reproduction:
The species is dioecious (separate males and females). Fertilisation is external, with eggs and sperm released into the water. Larvae are planktonic for several weeks before settling into sediment and growing into juveniles. Spawning season varies by region.

Ecological Role:
By burrowing and feeding on detritus, Pelican’s Foot Shells contribute to benthic nutrient cycling. Empty shells may provide shelter for small marine organisms.

Conservation Status:
The species is widespread and not considered threatened. Populations may be affected by seabed disturbance such as dredging and bottom-trawling. Live animals are subtidal, so shells found on beaches are usually empty or washed up after storms.