Vasum cassiforme

Vasum cassiforme
Two views of a shell of the helmet vase, Vasum cassiforme.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Turbinellidae
Subfamily:	Vasinae
Genus:	Vasum
Species:	V. cassiforme
Binomial name
Vasum cassiforme (Kiener, 1840)
Synonyms[2]
Turbinella cassiformis Kiener, 1840 Vasum cassidiformis Kiener, 1845[1]

Vasum cassiforme, common name the helmet vase, is a species of medium to large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinellidae. [2]

Distribution

Vasum cassiforme lives in the southeastern and northeastern littoral of Brazil,[3] including Abrolhos and the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia and Espírito Santo.[1]

Shell description

The maximum reported size of this species shell is 114.9 mm.[4]

Vasum cassiforme has a large, thick and heavy shell, presenting 8 whorls.[1] One of its most striking characteristics is its rich ornamentation, with foliated cords and spines over the body whorl and shoulder, respectively. It is colored cream[1] or light brown externally, while the aperture may be colored purplish-brown.[1]

Ecology

Habitat

This sea snail lives on sand and muddy bottoms, to a depth of 70 m.[3]

References

1. Rios, E. C. (1994). Seashells of Brazil (2nd ed.). Rio Grande: FURG. ISBN 85-85042-36-2.
2. MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Vasum cassiforme (Kiener, 1840). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=533594 on 2023-01-28
3. Conquiliologistas do Brasil website. URL: http://www.conchasbrasil.org.br/english/conchology/descricao.asp?id=270. Accessed 29 June 2009.
4. "Record size for brazilian shells". Conquiliologistas do Brasil. Retrieved 30 September 2009.