noun
scaly worm shell
A species of sea snail, Serpulorbis imbricatus. Typically written in katakana as オオヘビガイ.
オオヘビガイは岩に付着して生息する巻貝の一種です。
The scaly worm shell is a type of sea snail that lives attached to rocks.
Standard katakana spelling for this species name.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
Compound of 大蛇 (giant snake) + 貝 (shellfish), referring to the shell's snake-like appearance. The exact derivation is uncertain.