- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Gastropoda
- Subclass: Caenogastropoda
- Order: Neogastropoda
- Superfamily: Buccinoidea
- Family: Nassariidae
- Scientific name: Nassarius reticulatus
- Norwegian: nettsnegl
Characteristics:
A criss-crossing of longitudinal and spiral ridges give the shell a netted pattern. The opening is oval with a thickened lip forming an extra opening for the siphon. The body is usually off-white with white and dark blotches. The shell can take a variety of shades of beige, brown or orange. The shell may reach a size of 30x14 mm.
Habitat:
It lives buried in sand or gravel on depths down to 20 meters. In June it migrates up to the tidal zone where it stays until September.
Distribution:
This whelk is widespread in the East-Atlantic Ocean, from the Azores and Canaries in the south, to Norway (Helgeland) in the north. It is tolerant for low salinity and can be found in the Baltic Sea, as well.