Sea Snail Sea shell - S-308 CASSIS CORNUTA

Beautiful, large shell of Cassis cornuta, the horned helmet – a species of large predatory snail with a siphon, in the family Cassidae, one of the largest snail species. The species is the type species of the genus Cassis. The spire is very low. On the last whorl there are three distinct spiral rows of tubercles (horns), the largest of them on the periphery, in the upper part of the shell. Adult individuals in the upper row have 5–7 long or short, rounded or pointed tubercles (horns). The two rows below have 3–4 smaller ridges. A characteristic feature is a pronounced, dense hammering (reticulate relief – on the surface of the shell). The external surface of the shell is cream, grayish or whitish, with brown streaks and spots. A large, oval parietal plate, color yellowish- or brownish-orange, with two spotted, 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 central inner edge. On the outer surface of the lip there are usually 7 broad brown spots. During growth, the new outer lip is extended after the whorl rotates 270 degrees relative to the previous lip. Protoconch with 2 ½ narrow whorls, white, smooth with a brown seam on the first whorl. The spire is orange, with 8–11 faint, whitish ridges in the lower half. The axial canal is covered. Sometimes pieces of coral, rock, or shell fragments are trapped in the space of the cavity, which rattles when the shell is shaken. Dimensions - 225/235/305 mm. Highly recommended for collectors and interior decorators.