Volva volva

Volva volva
Volva volva near Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique
Five views of a shell of Volva volva
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Littorinimorpha
Family:	Ovulidae
Genus:	Volva
Species:	V. volva
Binomial name
Volva volva (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms [1]
Bulla volva Linnaeus, 1758 Ovula aspera Perry, 1811 Ovula textoria Röding, 1798 Volva lemurica Schilder, 1941 Volva volva volva(Linnaeus, 1758)

Volva volva is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae (false cowries). ^[1] In Australia the shells are commonly referred to as a shuttle or spindle egg cowry. ^[2]

Description

The shell of Volva volva ranges between 45 and 186 mm (1.8 and 7.3 in) in length. The canals are long and narrow, while the body whorl is about one-third or less of the shell length. ^[3] These canals can be straight or curved and the colour of the shell varies from a pale cream to light pink. ^[4]

Distribution

Volva volva is found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. ^[5]

References

1. Volva volva (Linnaeus, 1758) . WoRMS (2009). Volva volva (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=431078 on 5 June 2010 .
2. Stone, Sharman Nance (1979). Australian sea shells. Budget Books in association with Lloyd O'Neil. ISBN   0908505094. OCLC   27572625.
3. Harasewych, M. G.; Moretzsohn, Fabio (2010). The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells. University of Chicago Press. p. 343. ISBN   978-0226315775.
4. Scase, Robert; Storey, Eric (1975). The world of shells. Berkshire: Osprey. ISBN   978-0-85045-222-8.
5. "Volva volva". The Encyclopedia of Life .