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CASSIDIDAE 193
1% to 3 inches in length, with about 20 spiral grooves on the body
whorl. Weak axial ribs sometimes present which make the shell coarsely
beaded. Lower parietal area pustulose. Outer lip may be greatly thickened
occasionally. Not uncommonly washed ashore. It is also present on the
west coast of Central America as the subspecies centiqiiadrata Valenciennes.
Formerly known as Semicassis abbreviata Lamarck and S. inflatum Shaw.
Phalium cicatricosiim Gmelin Smooth Scotch Bonnet
Southeast Florida, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Plate 9f
Shell i'V2 to 2 inches in length, similar to P. granulatum but without
the spiral grooves; sometimes smaller specimens have nodules on the shoulder
of the whorl. Rare in Florida. Meuschen named this shell first, but his
works are now ruled out as invalid. The nodulated, smaller variety was
named peristephes Pilsbry and McGinty.
Genus Cassis Scopoli 1777
The helmet shells are large, handsome mollusks which have been used
by man for centuries. Large numbers of cameos are still cut from them,
the meat is often used in chowders, and the uncut shells serve as attractive
doorstops or mantel-pieces. In the Pacific, they are sliced in half and the
body whorl used either as a cooking container or boat-bailer. The half dozen
known species are found only in the West Indies and Indo-Pacific area. They
live in moderately deep water and although sometimes are obtained in kneedeep
waters, they usually must be dived for in 10 to 20 feet of water. The
helmet shells are carnivorous and include the spiny sea urchins in their diet.
Operculum semicircular, corneous and concentric.
Cassis tuberosa Linne King Helmet
Southeast Florida and the West Indies.
Adults 4 to 9 inches in length, massive, with a finely reticulated sculp-
ture. Color brownish cream with black-brown patches on the lip and a
large patch of brown at the center of the parietal shield. This species may
be easily confused with the Flame Helmet (Cassis fiaminea Linne) which
occurs in the Bahamas and Antilles. The latter lacks the reticulated sculpture,
lacks brown color between the teeth on the outer lip, has a rounded (not
triangular) parietal shield and is from 3 to 5 inches in length. Rare in Florida
(10 fathoms), common to the south in shallow water.
Cassis 7nadagascariensis Lamarck Emperor Helmet
Southeast Florida, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles.
Plate 23V