precious wentletrap
A species of sea snail, Epitonium scalare. The name is usually written in katakana as オオイトカケガイ.
The precious wentletrap is a sea snail with a beautiful spiral shell.
Standard katakana spelling for this species name.
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the word is usually written in kana.
The name likely derives from 大 (おお, 'large'), 糸 (いと, 'thread'), 掛け (かけ, 'hanging'), and 貝 (がい, 'shellfish'), referring to the shell's appearance. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.