Luria isabella

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Luria isabella
Luria isabella 01.JPG
Five views of a shell of Luria isabella
Luria isabella 02 600x600.jpg
A lateral view of a shell of Luria isabella, anterior end towards the right
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Cypraeidae
Genus: Luria
Species:
L. isabella
Binomial name
Luria isabella
Wyst-isabella.jpg
Synonyms [1]
  • Cypraea isabella Linnaeus, 1758
  • Cypraea literataTime, 1822
  • Cypraea claraGaskoin, J.S., 1851
  • Cypraea isabelloidesSchilder, F.A., 1924
  • Cypraea cavia Steadman, W.R. & B.C. Cotton, 1946
  • Cypraea lemuriana Steadman, W.R. & B.C. Cotton, 1946
  • Cypraea cylindroidesCoen, G.S., 1949

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. [1]

Contents

Description

The shells of these very common cowries reach on average 25–35 millimetres (0.98–1.38 in) of length, with a minimum size of 8 millimetres (0.31 in) and a maximum size of 54 millimetres (2.1 in). The basic color of these cylindrical-shaped shells is light beige or fawn or pale reddish-brown, the dorsum surface is crossed by thin discontinuous longitudinal markings and the extremities show orange-red terminal spots. The base is mainly white and the long and narrow aperture has several short teeth. In the living cowries the well developed mantle is black matt and almost velvety, with external short antennae.

Shell of an alive exemplar of Luria isabella in Zanzibar, Tanzania Caracola de mar (Luria isabella), Zanzibar, Tanzania, 2024-05-30, DD 70.jpg
Shell of an alive exemplar of Luria isabella in Zanzibar, Tanzania
Shell of Luria isabella from Philippines Cypraeidae - Luria isabella - Philippines-2.JPG
Shell of Luria isabella from Philippines

Distribution

This species lives in the Red Sea, along the East African coast, the Mascarene Basin and in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean (Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Melanesia, Philippines, Southern Japan, Taiwan) up to Hawaii.

Fossils have been found in Holocene strata on the Eniwetok Atol, Marshall Islands and in Pliocene or Pleistocene strata on Guam.

Habitat

Living cowries of this species can be encountered in a wide range of habitats, in shallow and in intertidal waters up to about 35 metres (115 ft) of depth. During the day they usually stay under rocks and stones or in small holes or coral caves. At dawn or dusk they start feeding on sponges, algae or coral polyps.

Subspecies

There have been a great many subspecies named, but most names are very dubious. However the following are generally accepted as valid names:

Related Research Articles

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<i>Ovatipsa chinensis</i> Species of gastropod

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

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

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<i>Pustularia</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

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<i>Barycypraea teulerei</i> Species of gastropod

Barycypraea teulerei, common name Teulere's cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Chelycypraea testudinaria</i> Species of mollusc

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

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

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

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<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>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 onyx</i> Species of gastropod

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

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

Mauritia depressa, common name the "depressed cowry" or the "honey cowry", 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>Mauritia scurra</i> Species of gastropod

Mauritia scurra, common name the jester cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Palmadusta ziczac</i> Species of gastropod

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

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

Nucleolaria nucleus, the wrinkled cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Talparia talpa</i> Species of gastropod

Talparia talpa, common name the mole cowry or chocolate banded cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Luria controversa, the 'Controversial Isabella', is a species of cowry, a sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

References

  1. 1 2 WoRMS : Luria isabella; accessed : 17 October 2010