Odd fishy candle holder

I've had this candle holder for a while and can't find anything like it on the Web. It has a seafood theme and all the sections are connected by threaded spikes that are ferrous. 15cm tall.

 

I'm going to guess brass from India because of the nautilus included in the decoration. India, or farther east. Don't know the age. Are there any vertical lines on the stem to suggest that it was cast?

 

Howdy. I cant find any casting marks as such although if there were any it could have been cleaned up. The bell at the bottom of the stem is as rough as a badger's bum hole so I'm guessing that piece was cast. No signs on the other pieces.

 

I am not seeing the 'hood' a nautilus has over its head, making it look streamlined. I think it is supposed to be a hermit crab, some look more like prawns in shells. Hermit crabs can be found just about everywhere. (And are a delight to see.)

 

I have never been up close and personal with a badger, so I wouldn't know. But yes, it is definitely cast. Brass candle sticks usually are.

I would guess the western part of Continental Europe, late 19th-early 20th.
Nice design, although the drip guard isn't very functional.