Cassis madagascariensis
| Cassis madagascariensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: | Tonnoidea |
| Family: | Cassidae |
| Subfamily: | Cassinae |
| Genus: | Cassis |
| Subgenus: | Cassis |
| Species: | C. madagascariensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Cassis madagascariensis Lamarck, 1822 | |
Cassis madagascariensis is a species of very large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cassidae, the helmet shells and bonnet shells.
Emperor/Queen Helmet Snail in the wild.
Distribution
This species occurs in the tropical Western Atlantic. The specific name "madagascarensis" literally means "of Madagascar", but this was a misunderstanding of the type locality by the original author.
Description
The maximum recorded shell length is 409 mm.[1]
Habitat
United States Virgin Islands, St. John. Emperor/Queen Helmet Snails frequently observed (photographed) in depths as shallow as two feet. 2011 [2] This contradicts the previously reported minimum depth of 3 m.[1] The maximum recorded depth is 183 m.[1]
Human uses
Cameo by Ascione manufacture, 1925, Naples, Coral and Cameo Jewellery Museum.
Shells of Cassis madagascariensis are used in jewellery to make cameos.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
- ↑ http://www.snorkelstj.com/helmet-snail.html