Cassis cornuta feeding

The horned helmet eats burrowing echinoids, including species of Brissus and Metalia. Curiously, they do not seem to break the fragile exoskeletons of the urchins. Apparently the mouth of the helmet can eat out the urchin animal through one of the natural openings in the shell. In the first shot, the helmet was gently tilted up to see the echinoid beneath.

Here the helmet was tipped up on its spire, revealing the mostly consumed echinoid.

This heavily encrusted helmet is crawling off, leaving an empty echinoid behind.

Created 10 January 2011

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