Trumpet shells

One of several marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cymatiidae, found in intertidal zones and deeper waters of tropical and southern temperate seas. The flesh of some trumpet shell species is consumed, and they are occasionally used to make preserves. Like other wild-harvested molluscs, trumpet shells must be gathered from uncontaminated waters, since filter-feeding and grazing gastropods can accumulate marine biotoxins, heavy metals, and microbial pathogens. Proper cooking destroys vegetative pathogens, but heat-stable algal toxins are not eliminated by cooking, so sourcing from monitored harvesting areas is the critical safety control.