Is that the only one sample?

Your picture isn't that good, but I think it looks a lot like one of the Nassaria family.

The orange strip that runs on the parietal wall seems to be unique. I don't find any Nassaria with that strip.

Khushali I think if you add your picture as an attachment we'll be able to see it more clearly.

Hi

Hi

I would say it is a Muricidae, but cannot tell you much more.

Hi all. Thank you so much for all your help.

I am adding few pics. These have been taken by my junior as Voucher specimen for DNA barcoding. Therefore the pics may not be good. I am waiting till he gets the sample and I will send better photographs.

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Being able to see it a little better, and to turn it around, I think I agree with Fernandos. I was mistaken. It is a muricidae.

I agree with Renjith. It is a Muricidae; subfamily Ergalataxinae; Genus Ergalatax.

Probably Ergalatax contracta.

For ID

the image can be posted in http://thewesternghats.indiabiodiversity.org/observation/list/?max=48&class=nextLink&offset=0

This is a Muricidae; subfamily Ergalataxinae.

Thank you so much all of you..... will get it sequenced now....

looks like an oyster drill (Urosalpinx cinerea) we have on the NE coast of the US. Not sure where you found this specimen.

I had a doubt

Ergalatax contracta has serrated lip which is not present in case of this mollusc. so probably that possibility may be neglacted

I think Syma is correct. its Urosalpinx cinerea.

Syma, I got it from west coast of India.

It looks like an oyster drill to me. Urosalpinx cinerea.

If it is an oyster drill it is a long way from home.

I thought of the same thing Bill....

It looks like an oyster drill but it may not be one. Good job using its distribution to be sure. Keep in mind that we humans can have an influence on the distribution of species, especially ones of small size.

Khushali, speaking of human influence on the distribution of species, how many specimens did you find?

Thanks for the references.

Hi guys, I suppose that it is strongly eroded shell of Chicoreus (Triplex) torrefactus, widely distributed Tropical Indo-Pacific species

Urosalpinx cinerea

Sorry, but have to disagree with such determination. According to the scale, the shells is about 7 cm high. Urosalpinx cinerea hardly attains 5 cm, usually around 3-4 cm. Also Urosalpinx never has strongly frondose ribs, which is typical for the genus Chicoreus. This particular specimen is heavily eroded shell with damaged aperture rim and all axial ribs, but typical coloration (dark brown on the ribs and orange columelar part of the aperture suggest that it is Chicoreus torrefactus. Cheers!

It is certainly not Urosalpinx cinerea and neither Ocinebrellus inornatus. I've seen Musem collections from the first species and here in our BOS collections we have O. inornatus, and they look quite different. whether it is Chicoreus torrefactus or not, I don't know, but maybe you can check in the virtual Museum of Rotterdam, where there are Musem specimens on line.  http://www.nmr-pics.nl/Muricidae_New/album/slides/NMR993000043381A.html