Rapana

a genus of predacious gastropods that includes three species. R. venosa is found in Peter the Great Bay and off the coasts of Japan. The gastropod attaches itself to vessels, and, in this way, was imported in the 1930’s into the Black Sea, where its numbers have increased significantly. The gastropod preys on commercially valuable mollusks, including oysters and mussels. The foot is edible, and the shell is often used for decorative purposes.