Sea Snail Sea shell - S-331 CASSIS CORNUTA

Beautiful, large shell Cassis cornuta – horned helmet – a species of large, predatory, sinistral snail from the Cassidae family, one of the largest snail species. The typical species of the genus Cassis. The whorl is very low. On the last whorl are three distinct spiral rows of thickenings with tubercles (horns), the largest of them on the crown, 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 lower down have 3–4 smaller tubercles. A characteristic feature is a clear, 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, yellowish- or brownish-orange in color, with two spotted, spiral thickenings 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, broad, with 5–7 whitish teeth on the middle inner edge. On the outer surface of the lip there are usually 7 broad brown spots. During growth, the outer lip is expanded after the whorl has turned 270 degrees relative to the previous lip. The protoconch has 2 ½ narrow whorls, off-white, smooth with a brown seam on the first whorl. The spindle is orange, with 8–11 faint, off-white lamellae in the lower half. The columellar notch is covered. Sometimes in the hollow space fragments of coral, rocks, or shell pieces are trapped, which rattle when the shell is shaken. Dimensions – 210/220/285 mm. I highly recommend it to collectors and interior decorators.