Ovoid, large and sturdy shells with digitations on the edge of the outer lip. The number of digitations is usually 6 and a “7th” false digitation is the prolongation of the anterior canal. Typical Lambis species have a smooth columella lacking spiral lirae and with hardly any lirae on the inside of the labrum. Also, species occur with strong lirae on the columella and inside of the labrum.
Remarks: Historically the species with strong lirae used to be included in the subgenus Millepes Mörch, 1852; however more recently, authors have synonymized Millepes with Lambis [8,9]. For the Indian Ocean species with strong lirae, raised callus on the columella and a bifurcated first digitation, Ophioglossolambis Dekkers, 2012 was introduced