Horned helmet shell - Toukamurigai (English spelling)

Japanese: トウカムリガイ(唐冠貝) - トウカムリガイ（英語表記）horned helmet shell

A large gastropod shell of the family Acanthidae (illustration). It is found widely in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the Kii Peninsula southwards, and lives on rocky reefs below the intertidal zone. It feeds on starfish and sea urchins. The shell is thick and robust, obovate, reaching a height of 35 cm and a diameter of 19 cm. It is yellowish-white with irregular brown spots, but turns grayish-white as it ages. There are nine layers of coils, each of which is low and conical, but the last coil is very large. There is a row of knob-like projections on the shoulder. The entire surface is covered with thin vertical and horizontal ribs, forming a fine mesh.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

トウカムリガイ科の大型巻貝（イラスト）。紀伊半島以南，熱帯太平洋，インド洋に広く分布し，潮間帯下の岩礁にすむ。ヒトデやウニを食べている。殻は厚く堅固で倒卵形，高さ35cm，径19cmに達する。黄白色で不規則な褐色斑があるが，老成すると全面灰白色になる。巻きは9階でそれぞれは低い円錐形であるが最後の巻きは非常に大きい。肩には瘤状の突起列がある。表面全体には縦横に細い肋があり，細かい網目状になっている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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