Shell · Genus
Trochus
Top shells
Trochus are conical top shells whose pearly interior made them the button-shell industry's staple; polished Trochus niloticus shells show bands of nacre and are sold in bulk. Pacific island fisheries manage them under size limits. They are inexpensive and useful for teaching shell structure.
| Habitat | Reef flats and rocky intertidal, Indo-Pacific |
|---|---|
| Regions | Indo-Pacific, Pacific Islands, Australia |
| Family | Trochidae |
| Authority (WoRMS) | Linnaeus, 1758· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Status (WoRMS) | accepted· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Classification (WoRMS) | Animalia › Mollusca › Gastropoda › Trochida › Trochidae· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
CITES and protection
Not CITES-listed. Trochus niloticus (now Rochia nilotica) is a regulated fishery in Pacific island nations for the button-nacre trade.
Care (Byne's disease)
Stable when dry.
Elsewhere
- WoRMS AphiaID: 138598
- Wikidata: Q1308482
- WoRMS / MolluscaBase record
- Wikipedia: Trochus
- CITES Appendices
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Trochus" (Shell family). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/shells/trochus. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-trochus,
title = {Trochus},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/shells/trochus}},
year = {2026},
note = {Shell family article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, worms, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.