The juvenile shells have some fairly defined spines that, once adults, become simple protuberances, but often some spinosities persist in adult specimens too. In the young shells the umbilicus is opened, while in the adults it is completely closed. It is a phytophagous species. It feeds on rubbles and algae. There were recorded some cases in which, once placed in a test-tank, it ate up specimens of Codium bursa alga and of Udotea genus wholly, and damaged Peyssonnielia squamaria laminae.The calcareous operculum is a typical one: orange in colour externally. It is also characteristic the peristome margin, white in colour internally. The average measures of an adult are abt. 50 mm.
Dark brown in colour, often covered by Vermetidae and calcareous algae.

Common enough all over the Mediterranean. This species lives mainly between 5 and 50 m depth, on rocky, detrital bottoms and Posidonia oceanica meadows. It reproduces between March and July.