HELMET SHELL

(Xenophalium pyrum).

This fish has a handsome smooth shell, 2–2 ½ in. in height, pale yellowish-brown to pinkish, with a row of small knobs around the shoulder. The animal has a horny operculum shaped like an open fan. They live in sand on open beaches from shallow water to a depth of about 50 fm. They are often seen on Ninety Mile Beach, Bay of Plenty, Port Waikato, and Waikanae.

by Arthur William Baden Powell, Assistant Director, Auckland Institute and Museum.

• HELMET SHELL

Warning

This information was published in 1966 in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. It has not been corrected and will not be updated.

Up-to-date information can be found elsewhere in Te Ara.