Sea Snail Sea shell - S-308 CASSIS CORNUTA

Beautiful, very large XXL Cassis cornuta helmet, a horned predatory gastropod of the family Cassidae, one of the largest snail species. The typical species of the genus Cassis. The spire is very low. On the last whorl there are three distinct spiral rows of enlargements with tubercles (horns); the largest of these are on the coronation (peripheral) part, in the upper part of the shell. Adults in the top row have 5–7 long or short, rounded or pointed tubercles (horns). The two rows below have 3–4 smaller tubercles each. A characteristic feature is a clear, dense hammering-like (netted) sculpturing on the surface of the shell. The outer surface of the shell is cream, grayish, or whitish with brown streaks and spots. A large, oval parietal plate, yellowish- or brownish-orange in color, with two spotted, spiral enlargements in the central part on 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 along the middle internal edge. On the outer surface of the lip there are usually 7 wide brown spots. As the organism grows, the new outer lip is extended after the coil 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. An orange spindle, with 8–11 faint pale slats (ribs) in the lower half. The axial notch is covered. Sometimes in the space of the notch, fragments of corals, rocks, or shell pieces become trapped, which rattle when the shell is shaken. Dimensions - 225/235/305 mm. I highly recommend it to collectors and interior decorators.