Cypraea leucodon

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Cypraea leucodon
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Cypraeidae
Genus: Cypraea
Species:
C. leucodon
Binomial name
Cypraea leucodon
Broderip, 1827

Cypraea leucodon, common name the white-toothed cowry, is a rare cowry, a species of sea snail, or marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

Contents

This species can be found from the Philippines and New Guinea to the Indian Ocean.

History

Until the late 1960s, this species was known from only two specimens: one in the National Museum of London, England, and one in the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the third and fourth specimens were found.

By the 1980s, they were being found with regular frequency, and were available on the market for about $5000. By 2000, they were "common" enough to be available for about $1500 in "gem" condition, and less than $1000 for lower quality specimens.

Description

The color of the shell of the white-toothed cowry varies from a chocolate-brown to butterscotch with whitish spots of varying size and degrees of contrast. The dorsal mantle stripe is very distinctive in this species.

The living animal has a mottled (blackish-brown and light tan) mantle with short and long colorless papillae, a blackish siphon and tan foot. A number of subspecies and forms have been described including: C. leucodon leucodon (pyriform nominate); angioyna (slight tooth differences); tenuidon (smaller, heavily spotted and rounder); and escotoi (small, dark and very round).

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

Cowrie Common name for a group of sea snails

Cowrie or cowry (pl. cowries) is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

Cypraeidae Family of gastropods

Cypraeidae, common named the cowries, is a taxonomic family of small to large sea snails. These are marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies.

<i>Lyncina leviathan</i> Species of gastropod

Lyncina leviathan is a species of tropical sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Monetaria moneta</i> Species of gastropod

Monetaria moneta, common name the money cowry, is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<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>Cypraea pantherina</i> Species of gastropod

Cypraea pantherina, common name the panther cowry, is a species of large tropical sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Leporicypraea mappa</i> Species of gastropod

Leporicypraea mappa, common name the map cowry, is a species of large sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Arestorides argus</i> Species of gastropod

Arestorides argus, commonly called the eyed cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Naria eburnea, common name ivory cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Lyncina lynx</i> Species of gastropod

Lyncina lynx, common name : the lynx cowry or eyed cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Naria poraria, common name the purple-based cowry or porous cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Erronea errones, the wandering cowry or erroneous cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Callistocypraea aurantium</i> Species of gastropod

Callistocypraea aurantium, common name the golden cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Lyncina leucodon</i> Species of gastropod

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

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

Mauritia histrio, common name the harlequin cowry or the stage cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Staphylaea limacina</i> Species of gastropod

Staphylaea limacina, common name slug-like cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Lyncina sulcidentata</i> Species of gastropod

Lyncina sulcidentata, common name the square-toothed cowry or groove-toothed cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Eclogavena quadrimaculata</i> Species of gastropod

Eclogavena quadrimaculata, the four-spotted cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Blasicrura pallidula</i> Species of gastropod

Blasicrura pallidula, common name the little pallid cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

References

  1. (2004) Visaya 1(1).