Wandering Triton Snail

The shell size of Ranella olearium varies between 90 mm and 240 mm. It is a highly variable species. Usually these large shells are elongated, thick and sturdy, with rounded whorls and with tubercles more or less developed on some sutures. The mouth is large and has a rounded section. The siphonal channel is moderately long and the lip bears many teeth, often double, arranged along the polished, white or brown edge. The external surface of the shell is brown ocher, with clearer tubercles and other protruding parts. The inner surface and the columella are white. In the living individual the shell is commonly covered with an outer velvety layer.

This species has a wide distribution. It is found in European waters, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Central and South Atlantic Ocean (Cape Verde, West Africa), in the Indian Ocean (Mozambique, South Africa), along New Zealand, in the Caribbean Sea (along Colombia) and in the South Western Pacific (not in Galápagos) .