ONYCHA o’ nikă (שְׁחֵ֫לֶת, H8829), the operculum of a species of Strombus, or other marine mollusks, which emit a penetrating aroma when burnt. It was one of the ingredients of the incense used in the Mosaic ritual (Exod 30:34—tr. “aromatic shell” in NEB, including Ecclus. 24:15). The Red Sea, an isolated warm water pocket of the Indian Ocean, is noted for its peculiar subspecies of mollusks, including the Liniated Conch (Strombus fasciatus Born)