Marine mollusc, some of which live on rocky shores whilst others burrow. The shell aperture is grooved to house the inhalant siphon keeping it clear of the mud.

The common dogwhelk Thais lapillus is a predator of barnacles and mussels and the coloured bands in the shell are believed to be influenced by the food material. The egg capsules are attached singly in crevices and have the appearance of corn grains.

The netted dogwhelk Nassarius reticulatus is recognizable by the crenulations on the shell. The egg capsules are flat and are deposited in eel-grass. Like the closely related thick-lipped dogwhelk N. incrassatus, it is a scavenger.

Classifiation
Dogwhelks are in order Neogastropoda, subclass Prosobranchia, class Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca.