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
Synonyms
Cassis madagascariensis spinella Clench, 1944

Cassis madagascariensis is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cassidae, the cone shells and bonnet shells. ^[1]

Emperor/Queen Helmet Snail in the wild.

Distribution

This species occurs in the tropical Western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. 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.^[2]

Habitat

United States Virgin Islands, St. John. Emperor/Queen Helmet Snails frequently observed (photographed) in depths as shallow as two feet. 2011 ^[3] This contradicts the previously reported minimum depth of 3 m.^[2] The maximum recorded depth is 183 m.^[2]

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. Rosenberg, G. (2015). Cassis madagascariensis Lamarck, 1822. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=419778 on 2016-01-05
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.
3. http://www.snorkelstj.com/helmet-snail.html

• Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.

External links

• images of shells