Sea Snail Sea shell - S-256 CASSIS CORNUTA

Beautiful, large shell of Cassis cornuta, the horned helmet – a species of large, predatory prosobranch snail in the family Cassidae, one of the largest snail species. The typical species of the genus Cassis. The spire/whorl is very low. On the last whorl there are three distinct spiral rows of tubercles with knobs (horns), the largest of them on the rim, in the upper part of the shell. Adults in the highest row have 5–7 long or short, rounded or pointed knobs (horns). The two rows below have 3–4 smaller knobs. A characteristic feature is a pronounced, dense hammering/mesh-like sculpture on the shell surface. The external surface of the shell is creamy, grayish or whitish, with brown stripes and spots. A large, oval parietal plate, color yellowish- or brownish-orange, with two speckled, spiral tubercles in the central part of the surface. The height of the parietal plate in adults is greater than the height of the shell. The outer lip is thick, wide, with 5–7 pale teeth on the inner edge. On the outer surface of the lip there are usually 7 wide brown spots. During growth, the new outer lip is extended after the whorl has rotated 270 degrees relative to the previous lip. Protoconch with 2 ½ narrow whorls, whitish, smooth with a brown seam on the first whorl. The spire is orange, with 8–11 faint, pale lamellae in the lower half. The umbilical hollow is closed. In the notch space, fragments of corals, rocks, or shell pieces may be trapped, which rattle when the shell is shaken. Dimensions: 230/260/305 mm. Highly recommended for collectors and interior decorators.