noun
Tectus maximus; top shell species
A species of sea snail in the family Tegulidae. The name is a taxonomic designation; in everyday contexts, it may be referred to simply as a type of 巻貝.
サラサバテイラは熱帯の海に生息する巻貝の一種です。
Tectus maximus is a type of sea snail that lives in tropical seas.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common than the full katakana form.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in practice.
The name combines サラサ (from Portuguese 'saraça', a type of printed calico, referring to the shell pattern) and 馬蹄螺 (ateji for 'horse-hoof spiral shell'). The exact derivation is uncertain.