The netted dog whelk eats mainly carrion, although it also consumes animals that aren't yet fully dead. It has a very good sense of smell. It often digs itself into the sand, whereby only its breathing tube sticks out of the sand. As soon as it detects a dead animal, off it goes. Sometimes, you see a dozens of dog whelks covering the carrion. You only find out what they are doing when you brush them off the dead material. Subspecies living in brackish water remain smaller than their marine brothers. The thick shell has a box-like pattern thanks to the horizontal and vertical ribs.