Architectural perspective

This hypnotic shell, with its perfectly drawn geometric spirals, belongs to Architectonica perspectiva, a marine gastropod living in the shallow sandy areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its name comes from the Latin architectonicus, "relating to architecture," a direct reference to the almost mathematical precision of its structure. Each spire winds around a gaping central umbilicus, like a helical ramp. The flattened shell and its alternating patterns of browns and whites earn it the evocative nickname of "sun dial" for its resemblance to ancient time-measuring instruments.