Aporrhais pespelecani

The Apporrhais pespelecani is an edible gastropod very common in Mediterranean and present also in the northern part of Atlantic. Often buried, lives on sandy or muddy bottoms nourishing of the tiny edible particles filtered by the gills. When creeps in surface stretches out the long and thin foot and then recovers the heavy shell with a jolt. The body is pinkish or reddish with pale spots. The eyes stand at the base of the tentacles. The 3-5 cm shell recalls, with its angular crevices the foot of a pelican. The colour of the shell of the Common pelican’s foot varies from yellowish white to beige and reddish brown with more or less marked darker elegant decorations © Giuseppe Mazza