Triton's trumpet

Charonia tritonis, commonly known as the Triton's trumpet or giant triton, is a large sea snail belonging to the family Charoniidae. It is a marine gastropod mollusc and is known for its impressive size, reaching up to two feet (or 60 cm) in shell length, making it one of the largest molluscs found in coral reefs.

The largest gastropod mollusk found in the 🌊 Red Sea. It has a white body with brown spots and can be found in lagoons and on reef slopes at depths ranging from 2-40m. Its diet consists of echinoderms, including the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci). During the day, it seeks shelter in crevices and covers the opening with a lid. At night, it actively hunts, relying on its vision and sense of smell to locate prey. To capture its prey, it extends its throat and shell beneath the body of the prey to flip it over. The struggle and consumption of the prey can last for up to three hours. Females occasionally sit on a mass of red eggs. Unfortunately, in many areas, populations of this species have significantly declined due to excessive collection. Historically, sailors used these shells as pipes.

This species is distributed across the 🌊 Indo-Pacific Oceans, including the 🌊 Red Sea. Interestingly, Charonia tritonis is one of the few organisms that feed on the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci). These starfish have been responsible for devastating coral reef areas, such as the Great Barrier Reef in 🇦🇺 Australia and reefs in the western Pacific. The triton is known to tear the starfish apart using its file-like radula.

The shell of Charonia tritonis is highly valued as a decorative item and is often modified for use as a trumpet, such as the 🇯🇵 Japanese horagai, Maldivian sangu, Hawaiian pū (hoʻokani), or Māori pūtātara.

There has been ongoing debate regarding the cause of crown-of-thorns starfish plagues, with some attributing them to natural factors and others to overfishing of these starfish's few predators, including Charonia tritonis. In 1994, 🇦🇺 Australia proposed listing Charonia tritonis under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to protect the species. However, due to a lack of trade data for this seashell, the proposal did not meet the Berne Criteria of CITES and was subsequently withdrawn. While Charonia tritonis may be protected in certain countries like 🇦🇺 Australia and 🇮🇳 India, it can still legally be traded and is often available for purchase in shell shops worldwide and online.