Chinese name: Coconut vortex snail
Other names: melon snail, oil snail, papaya snail, spotted coconut snail
Scientific name: Melo melo
Other: Medium to large snails, usually 12-20 cm in adulthood. Shell elliptical sphere with a smooth shell surface and pale orange shells with dark-brown spots. They feed on other shellfish. Generally distributed in Southeast Asia in the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia... It is distributed in the South China Sea, offshore China, Taiwan and other places. It inhabits offshore and subtidal zones at a depth of 20 metres ahead of the sea mud and sand. Because shell meat is usually eaten or traded locally, it is supplied in the southern Chinese market. The shell can also be used as a decorative ornament or vase. The mantle membrane should be removed when cooking, otherwise the meat will be tough and difficult to bite. Take the tender part of the meat, remove the internal organs, slice and cook. Cooking method: oil bubble, charcoal, red stew and other methods. It needs to be cooked into taste, and the snail itself has no taste.
Shooting date: April 10, 2021
Filming location or remarks: Specimen 145 - Zhuhai Wailingling Island
Photographer: Qiu Dongping
Specimen 145, Yacheng Snail, length 8.3 cm, width 4.5 cm, was purchased live at the seafood market on Wailingling Island in Zhuhai, and left shells as specimens after eating meat.
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