It is native to the west coast of North America where it is found on mudflats on the foreshore and on sand and mud in shallow water.

The surface of the shell is sculpted with fine axial ribs and spiral ridges, giving it a basket-like texture.

It is able to detect odors with its long proboscis and when it finds something edible, it winds its foot round it and rasps at the surface with its radula.

First it cleans a portion of leaf blade with its radula, then it forms a fold in its foot connecting its genital pore with its mucous pedal gland.

After this, the snail moves forward slightly and repeats the process, eventually producing a series of flattened capsules that overlap each other giving a shingled effect.