Cypraecassis rufa (Gmelin, 1791)
Flame helmet, 168mm

The Flame helmet shell is rare at Kwajalein. We are aware of two or maybe three living specimens observed. We have personally found just a couple of very old empty shells. One living specimen was found on the lagoon sandy reef between Kwajalein and Little Bustard Island, and another was found at night on a large midlagoon pinnacle. Our empty shells were both on lagoon and on seaward reefs. It seems that this shell can live in a number of areas within the atoll, but it is rare in all of them. The shell below came from the Micronesian Handicraft Shop and was reportedly collected empty in Wotje Atoll, Marshall Islands.

Created 10 January 2011

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