The snail’s shell defies the smooth spirals we associate with its kind. Instead, it folds into boxy, angular whorls, a shape ...

Researchers also propose a new method to classify snails by sorting them into similar groups based on overall shell shape, shell surface texture, and the arrangement of apertural barriers.

Rectangular whorls game the scientists the impression of "a Cubist interpretation of other snails with ‘normal’ shell shapes.