The name “Turbo cornutus” literally means “horned turban,” and it is characterized by a hard, ventricose, spiny, imperforate shell of which the length varies between 65 mm and 120 mm. It has a large, thick, green-gray shell with irregular incremental striae and spiral lirae.

The shell has about 5-6 whorls, which turn clockwise and have horny protuberances. The body whorl is ventricose, somewhat bicarinate, armed about the middle with two spiral series of erect tubular spines, and frequently a smaller accessory row above. The lower series of spines is sometimes absent.

The thickness and shape of the shell and the horns vary greatly according to environmental conditions. The sutures are deeply impressed. The oblique aperture is rounded and is about 3.5 cm in diameter, and is green or red-brown. The thin inside lip of the shell is not smooth, but rough and granular. The broad columellais flattened and somewhat grooved, produced and channelled at its base.

Turbo cornutus develops an operculum, which is calcareous, concave and brown within. It contains four whorls. The nucleus measures one-third the distance across the face. The operculum itself bears a deep, spiral groove and is also granular on the convex outer surface. This outer surface is white or tinged with brown and olive, more or less sharply asperate with elevated points, and with a spiral rib commencing in an axial elevation and terminating at the margin of increment. When separated from the attached animal, the inner side of the operculum is flat, with a somewhat smooth spiral. Due to an anatomical quirk of growth of gastropods, the anus is located on its head.

As marine snails, they breathe through gills. According to Fukuda 2017, Turbo cornutus should be restricted to the species endemic to southern China and Taiwan.

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