Galeodea depressa

This robust, beautifully spiraled gastropod is a classic indicator of a rich, deep-water benthic community. Its heavy shell features rows of small, distinct knobs or ridges built to withstand the pressures of a life spent crawling along the dark, muddy floor of the ancient Boom Clay sea. Modern helmet shells are slow, deliberate hunters that specialize in tracking down burrowing sea urchins, using their specialized chemical secretions to bore clean holes through the urchin's tough outer test to feed.