About Cassis cornuta (Linnaeus, 1758)
This species, Cassis cornuta, has a shell length that ranges between 50 mm and 410 mm. It is the largest of all known helmet shells. Its shell is very solid, heavy, and rotund, featuring large horn-like knobs and a wide, flat base. The dorsal side of the shell is pale orange, while the base is vivid orange with faint white and brown markings. This large sea snail lives on sand and coral rubble, and is often found around reefs. Cassis cornuta occurs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and off the southern African coast from northern KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique.
