Calpurnus verrucosus

Last updated

Calpurnus verrucosus
Calpurnus verrucosus.jpg
Living Calpurnus verrucosus on soft coral Sacrophyton sp., Philippines
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
(unranked):
Superfamily:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
C. verrucosus
Binomial name
Calpurnus verrucosus
Synonyms

Calpurnus verrucosus, the Umbilical Egg Shell or Warty/Little Egg Cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the cowries.

Contents

Distribution

This species is mainly distributed in the tropical South East Africa and in the Western Pacific Ocean, in the waters along Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, Red Sea, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines.

Description

Shell of Calpurnus verrucosus Calpurnus verrucosus 01.JPG
Shell of Calpurnus verrucosus

The shells of this species reach 10–40 millimetres (0.39–1.57 in) of length. This cowry is pure white, smooth and ovate, the base is flat and wide. The anterior and posterior extremities have a slight purple coloration, with a yellow circle at the edge of a depressed pustule (hence the Latin name of this species, verrucosus ). The mantle of the living cowries is white and completely covered by small brown spots. Also the foot is white with dark dots and can be extended widely around the base of the shell.

Habitat

Living cowries can mainly be encountered in daylight under soft corals, sponges and rocks in shallow to deep waters at a depth of 20–50 m. They primarily feed on the polyps of Leather Corals ( Sacrophyton and Lobophytum species, Alcyoniidae). At night they spread their mantles on the top of the soft coral and start grazing on the polyps.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flamingo tongue snail</span> Species of gastropod

The flamingo tongue snail is a species of small but brightly colored sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ovulidae</span> Family of gastropods

Ovulidae, common names the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries, is a family of small to large predatory or parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and the cowry allies.

<i>Luria isabella</i> Species of gastropod

Luria isabella, common names Isabel's cowry, Isabella cowry or fawn-coloured cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Cypraea tigris</i> Species of gastropod

Cypraea tigris, commonly known as the tiger cowrie, is a species of cowry, a large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Erronea cylindrica</i> Species of gastropod

Erronea cylindrica is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Bistolida erythraeensis</i> Species of gastropod

Bistolida erythraeensis, the Red Sea cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Bistolida kieneri</i> Species of gastropod

Bistolida kieneri, common name : Kiener's cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Mauritia maculifera</i> Species of gastropod

Mauritia maculifera, common name : the blotched cowry or reticulated cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Naria lamarckii</i> Species of gastropod

Naria lamarckii, common name the Lamarck's cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Macrocypraea cervus</i> Species of gastropod

Macrocypraea cervus, common name the Atlantic deer cowry, is a species of large sea snail, a very large cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Mauritia grayana</i> Species of gastropod

Mauritia grayana, the 'Gray's arabica cowry', is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Cuspivolva tigris</i> Species of gastropod

Cuspivolva tigris, known commonly as the Tiger egg cowry, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<i>Ovula ovum</i> Species of gastropod

Ovula ovum, common name the common egg cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<i>Phenacovolva rosea</i> Species of gastropod

Phenacovolva rosea, also known as the rosy spindle cowry, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries. It lives and feeds on fan, whip and bush-type gorgonians.

<i>Amonovula piriei</i> Species of gastropod

Amonovula piriei is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

Testudovolva nipponensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.

<i>Jenneria pustulata</i> Species of gastropod

Jenneria pustulata, common name the Jenner's cowry or pustulated cowry, is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, one of the families of cowry allies.

<i>Nucleolaria granulata</i> Species of gastropod

Nucleolaria granulata, common name the granulated cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Lyncina schilderorum</i> Species of mollusc

Lyncina schilderorum, common names the sandy cowry or Schilder's cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. This species was named in honor of Franz and Maria Schilder, two German cowry biologists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ovulinae</span> Subfamily of gastropods

The subfamily Ovulinae, common name the ovulines, is a highly specialized, extant group of sea snails in the family Ovulidae. These are predatory or parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the superfamily Cypraeoidea. Species in this subfamily are sometimes referred to as cowries, although this name is commonly used for any member of the superfamily Cypraeoidea.

References