Distribution: Moderately common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific region: from South Africa to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. In Australia recorded from Exmouth in Western Australia across the tropical north to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, south to northern New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Found in shallow water, intertidally and subtidally, in association with zooanthids upon which it feeds.

Additional Notes: Colour bluish white with strong, distinctive, nearly black flames, peripheral ribs alternating white and brown, upper spiral cord sometimes unpatterned white. Grows to 18 mm diameter.

References: The Seashells of New South Wales, Des Beechey, Senior Fellow, Australian Museum, Release 25. Website at https://seashellsofnsw.org.au/Architectonicidae/Pages/Heliacus_variegatu…. Accessed 07/11/2018.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=heliacus+variegatus. Accessed 07/11/2018.