Cypraecassis rufa

Housing of Cypraecassis rufa

The Red Helmet Snail Red balaclava, the Bull mouth or the fiery furnace ( Cypraecassis rufa) is a snail from the family of helmet snails ( genus Cypraecassis ), which is widespread in the Indo-Pacific. It feeds on sea urchins.

Features

The bulbous ovoid, very thick and heavy, with multiple nodular callous belts surrounded shell of Cypraecassis rufa has a red to orange- brown colored surface with darker and lighter brown spots. At the base of the body dealing run two white longitudinal furrows. The thread is short and pointed. The spindle and the outer lip has a deep purple wrinkles. The lip edges are colored very thick and bright red, especially the outer. The ground color is creamy orange. The house achieved in adult snails around 15 cm, sometimes up to 18 cm in length. The operculum is rounded ovate and has about one-tenth the length of the case mouth.

Dissemination

The Red helmet snail is widespread in the northern Indian Ocean, among others on the coast of East Africa to Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean to eastern Polynesia, north to Taiwan and southern Japan and south to north Queensland and Fiji. The most common is the worm in the far west and in the east of its range, otherwise rare.

Habitat

Red Whelks prefer protected areas in the intertidal zone and below on coral reef on coarse sand with algae at depths of up to 12 meters.

Food

Cypraecassis rufa feeds short spiky sea urchins, but also very defensive species such as sea urchins diadem. By secretion of mucus cushion it protects from the stings of the prey, which are softened by sulfuric acid secreted and usually mitgefressen.

Relevance to humans

Cypraecassis rufa is due to their snail shell a popular collector's item, so that man can be considered as a major enemy. The housing is often used for carving cameos. So far, however, the screw is not listed in the Red List of world.