''Contradusta walkeri'' is a
species of
sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...
, a
cowry, a marine
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusk in the
family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
Subspecies
*''Contradusta walkeri continens''
( Iredale, 1935)
*''Contradusta walkeri surabajensis''
Schilder, F.A., 1937
*''Contradusta walkeri walkeri''
(Sowerby I
George Brettingham Sowerby I (12 August 1788 – 26 July 1854) was a British natural history, naturalist, illustrator and Conchology, conchologist.
Life
He was the second son of James Sowerby. George was educated at home under private tutors, ...
, 1832)
Description
The shells of these common cowries reach on average of length, with a minimum size of and a maximum size of . The shape is usually oval, the dorsum surface is smooth and shiny, the basic color is pale brown, with a wide dark brown trasversal band and some small irregular brown patches on the top. The margins are white, with several brown dots. The base may be white, purple or cream and the wide and sinuous aperture shows long labial teeth. The interior of the shell may be purple. In the living cowries the mantle is transparent, with short sensorial papillae.
Distribution
This species is distributed in the
Red Sea, in the Indian Ocean along the
Seychelles, in the West Pacific along
South East Asia, the
Philippines,
Melanesia and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Habitat
They live in tropical subtidal waters and in continental shelf at about of depth, usually on coral reef or under rocks.
References
External links
BiolibClade
Cypraeidae
Gastropods described in 1832
{{Cypraeidae-stub