This is indeed, truly remarkable behaviour. I've heard of 'higher' animals
doing something similar (apparently sick elephants often need help to
stand up) and sometimes even humans help each other out, but 'brainless
snails'?

Cassis cornuta can grow to huge sizes (Does anyone know the world record?)
and one that fell over would indeed be in deep trouble, since they don't
have an operculum, or a very athletic 'foot' (unlike a Strombus, which can
somersault with ease).

Cassis are on CITES' list of banned exports, but here are regularly caught
and sold as food items (and if any conchologists object to this, go to
your larder and throw away all those cans of tuna!)

I have a cornuta shell that weighs 3kg, is 13" long and 10" high, and is
not much out of the ordinary. I use it as an example of shell use for food
at:
http://www.coconutstudio.com/Shell%20Middens.htm

As to the rationale behind the behaviour, I just cannot conceive of two
brainless snails seeing a friend in trouble, communicating to each other,
and then deciding to cooperate to help it out.

So it must be one of those mysterious inbred, hard-wired instincts, like
ant and bee communication, somehow acquired by a snail that can grow to
helplessly large sizes, and is therefore probably a lot more common (in
this species) than we know.

regards

Richard Parker
Siargao Island, The Philippines.

My website at www.coconutstudio.com is about the island and its people,
coastal early humans, fishing, coconuts, bananas and whatever took my
fancy at the time.

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