Talparia talpa

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Talparia talpa
Cypraea talpa (alive).jpg
A live Talparia talpain situ with its mantle almost fully extended, anterior end towards the right
Talparia talpa 01.JPG
Five views of a shell of Talaria talpa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Cypraeidae
Genus: Talparia
Species:
T. talpa
Binomial name
Talparia talpa
Wyst-talpa.jpg
Distribution map of Talparia talpa
Synonyms [1]
  • Cypraea talpa Linnaeus, 1758 (basionym)
  • Cypraea talpa imperialis(Schilder & Schilder, 1938)
  • Cypraea talpa var. saturataDuatzenberg, 1903
  • Talparia talpa imperialis(Schilder & Schilder, 1938)
  • Talparia talpa var. lewallorumLorenz, 2015 (unavailable name: infrasubspecific rank)

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. [1]

Contents

Subspecies

Synonyms

Description

The shells of these quite uncommon cowries reach on average 50–70 millimetres (2.0–2.8 in) of length, with a minimum size of 23 millimetres (0.91 in) and a maximum size of 105 millimetres (4.1 in). They are very variable in pattern and colour. The dorsum surface is smooth and shiny, the basic color is brown or yellowish brown, with three or four yellow or light brown transversal bands. The margins, the base and the teeth are completely dark brown or black. Also the teeth are dark brown, but the teeth spacing is clearer or white. In the living cowries the mantle is greyish or black, with long cylindrical papillae. Mantle and foot are well developed, with external antennae. The lateral flaps of the mantle may hide completely the shell surface and may be quickly retracted into the shell.

Two shells of Talparia talpa, dorsal and apertural view Cypraeidae - Talparia talpa.JPG
Two shells of Talparia talpa, dorsal and apertural view
A shell of Talparia talpa, anterior end towards the bottom Cypraea-talpa.jpg
A shell of Talparia talpa, anterior end towards the bottom

Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean along East Africa (Aldabra, Chagos, the Comores, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, the Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania), in the western Pacific (western Australia, Philippines), in Polynesia and Hawaii.

Fossils of this species have been found in Pliocene or Pleistocene strata on Guam.

Habitat

These cowries live on coral reef or in shallow lagoons in tropical intertidal and subtidal waters up to 30 m depth. They can be found under ledges and in small coral caves at night, as they start feeding at dusk.

Related Research Articles

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

Cypraeidae, commonly 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>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>Mauritia arabica</i> Species of gastropod

Mauritia arabica, common name the Arabian cowry, is a species of cowry, a sea snail, 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>Bistolida stolida</i> Species of gastropod

Bistolida stolida, common name the stolid cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Chelycypraea testudinaria, common name the tortoise cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Talostolida teres</i> Species of gastropod

Talostolida teres, common name the tapering 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>Lyncina vitellus</i> Species of gastropod

Lyncina vitellus, common name : the calf cowry or the Pacific deer cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Naria erosa, common name the gnawed or eroded cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

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

Naria helvola, common name: the honey 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 caurica</i> Species of gastropod

Erronea caurica, common name the thick-edged 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>Pustularia globulus</i> Species of gastropod

Pustularia globulus is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusc 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>Staphylaea staphylaea</i> Species of gastropod

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

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

Palmadusta humphreyii, common name : Humphrey's cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

References

  1. 1 2 Talparia talpa (Linnaeus) . WoRMS (2009). Talparia talpa (Linnaeus). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=216894 on 23 October 2010 .
  2. Gastropods.com : Talparia talpa imperialis; accessed : 23 october 2010
  3. "Talparia talpa saturata". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 23 October 2010.