large proboscis glands. Taxonomy In their taxonomy of the Gastropoda of 2005 Bouchet & Rocroi still listed Cassidae as Cassinae Latreille, 1825, a subfamily of Tonnidae Suter, 1913 (1825), following in this Riedel (1995). In his "Revision of the deep-water Cassidae" however, Beu raised in 2008 Cassinae to the rank of family. Genera Genera within the family include:Casmaria H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853Cassis Scopoli, 1777Cypraecassis Stutchbury, 1837Dalium Dall, 1889 Echinophoria Sacco, 1890Eucorys Beu, 2008Galeodea Link, 1807Microsconsia Beu, 2008Oocorys P. Fischer, 1883Phalium Link, 1807 - bonnet shellsSconsia Gray, 1847Semicassis Mörch, 1852 Genera brought into synonymy Bathygalea Woodring & Olsson, 1957: synonym of Echinophoria Sacco, 1890 Benthodolium Verrill & Smith [in Verrill], 1884: synonym of Oocorys P. Fischer, 1884 Bezoardica Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Phalium Link, 1807 Bezoardicella Habe, 1961: synonym of Phalium Link, 1807 Cassidaria Lamarck, 1816: synonym of Galeodea Link, 1807 Cassidea Bruguière, 1789: synonym of Cassis Scopoli, 1777 Echinora Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Galeodea Link, 1807 Euspinacassis Finlay, 1926: synonym of Echinophoria Sacco, 1890 Galeoocorys Kuroda & Habe, 1957: synonym of Galeodea Link, 1807 Hadroocorys Quinn, 1980: synonym of Oocorys P. Fischer, 1884 Morio Montfort, 1810: synonym of Galeodea Link, 1807 Taieria Finlay & Marwick, 1937: synonym of Galeodea Link, 1807 † Trachydolium Howe, 1926: synonym of Echinophoria Sacco, 1890 Xenogalea Iredale, 1927: synonym of Semicassis Mörch, 1852 Xenophalium Iredale, 1927: synonym of Semicassis Mörch, 1852 Human uses Some helmet shells are carved into cameos, starting in Italy in 1820. The king helmet Cassis tuberosa was the first species to be made into cameos. The black helmet Cassis madagascariensis, also known as Cassis cameo, has a dark brown or a claret-coloured shell layer under a yellowish outer layer. This gives it an onyx appearance and makes it one of the most useful shells for cameos. The red helmet Cypraecassis rufa gives a sardonyx-like appearance because it has sard-coloured bands under its pale outer coating. The horned helmet Cassis cornuta produces a white figure on an orange background. It is also used as a trumpet by native Filipinos. References Abbott, R.T. (1968). The Helmet Shells of the World (Cassidae) Part 1. Indo-Pacific Mollusca 2(9): 7-201 Riedel F. 1995. An outline of Cassoidean phylogeny (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Contributions to Tertiary and Quaternary Geology 32(4): 97–132 Kreipl K. 1997. Recent Cassidae. Christa Hemmen, Wiesbaden, 151 p Beu A.G. (2008) Recent Deep-water Cassidae of the World. A revision of Galeodea, Oocorys, Sconsia, Echinophoria