Semicassis labiata
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| Semicassis labiata | ||||||||||||||||
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| Semicassis labiata (Perry, 1811) |
Semicassis labiata is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc. This species is in the subfamily Cassinae, the "helmet shells" and "bonnet shells", which feed on sea urchins.
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[edit] Distribution
This species is found around the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand, and in south eastern Australia including Norfolk Island.
[edit] Habitat
This sea snail lives in shallow water.
[edit] Shell description
The shell is moderately large, fairly solid, ovate, smooth and polished without nodules. When adult, it has a thick, rounded labial varix, denticulate along its inner edge. The inner lip callus shield is thick and adpressed, bridging a very small umbilical chink.
The shell coloration is pale brown to bluish-grey, with a complicated pattern of reddish-brown axial streaks, crossed by revolving bands of irregular, sometimes chevron-shaped, brown maculations, interspersed with pale areas of ground colour. The tip of the spire is pink, the labial varix is banded with purplish-brown, the interior of the aperture is chestnut, and the inner lip callus is light brown to pale orange.
The maximum shell height is 83 mm, and width 52 mm.
