Horned Helmet [Cassis cornuta]
Description
The Horned Helmet is a large sea snail, growing up to 30 cm in length. It has a heavy, solid shell with broad, low knobs and a large, flaring outer lip. The shell is typically brown to gray with a white interior. They inhabit the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from East Africa to Hawaii. Horned Helmet snails are carnivorous and feed mainly on sea stars. They are nocturnal and spend most of the day buried in the sand, coming out to feed at night.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Mollusks
Mollusca
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Gastropods
Gastropoda
|
| Order |
Tonnoidea
Tonnoidea
|
| Family |
Cassids
Cassidae
|
| Genus |
King Helmet
Semicassis
|