Describing a shell or spiral structure that coils in an unusual or opposite direction compared to the normal pattern in that species.
From Greek 'hetero-' (different) and 'strophic' (turning/coiling); originally used in malacology (shell studies) to describe abnormal shell growth patterns.
Some snails occasionally build their shells in reverse, like a DNA helix spinning the wrong way—and scientists still debate whether it's a genetic glitch or an environmental response.
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