common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
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
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
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.WoRMS : Mauritia arabica; accessed : 10 October 2010 /ref>
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognized:
*''Mauritia arabica arabica'' ( Linnaeus,
1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...
): represented as ''Mauritia arabica'' (Linnaeus, 1758)
* ''Mauritia arabica asiatica'' F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939
*''Mauritia arabica grayana'' Schilder, 1930: synonym of '' Mauritia grayana'' Schilder, 1930
*''Mauritia arabica immanis'' Schilder & Schilder, 1938
* ''Mauritia arabica khanhhoaensis'' Thach, 2019 (synonym: ''Mauritia arabica huberi'' Thach, 2018 )
*''Mauritia arabica merguina'' Lorenz & Huber, 1993: synonym of accepted as ''Mauritia arabica asiatica'' F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939 (Lorenz (2002) says it might be a separate subspecies (i.e., not sure), but lists is under ''Mauritia arabica asiatica''; not studied molecularly)
* ''Mauritia arabica ngocngai'' Thach, 2018
* ''Mauritia arabica nhatrangensis'' Thach, 2018
* ''Mauritia arabica phanrangensis'' Thach, 2020
* ''Mauritia arabica thachi'' F. Huber, 2018
mantle
A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that.
Mantle may refer to:
*Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear
**Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...
groove (the line or area where the two mantle flaps meet when they are fully extended) is dissimilar to the shells general color pattern, and thus easily perceivable. The lateral margins are calloused, mainly towards both the posterior and anterior ends. The ventral side of the shell is typically flattened, and sometimes slightly concave.
As is also the case in the shell of most other Cypraeidae snails, the shell surface is notably effulgent (shiny), as if it had been deliberately polished. The color is generally cream to light fawn dorsally, with shades of brown. The ventral side of the shell is colored cream to grey. The labral teeth are reddish brown and white towards the columella. The common name Arabian cowry is based on a dense and irregular pattern of thin longitudinal brown lines which are sometimes interrupted by empty spaces, giving an appearance that is considered to be similar to that of
Arabic script
The Arabic script is the writing system used for Arabic and several other languages of Asia and Africa. It is the second-most widely used writing system in the world by number of countries using it or a script directly derived from it, and the ...
.
''Mauritia arabica'' and its close relative ''
Mauritia eglantina
''Mauritia eglantina'', the 'dog-rose cowry' or 'eglantine cowry', is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family (biology), family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
;Subspecies:
* ''Mauritia eglantina huberi'' Thach, 2018
...
'' have very similar shells which can be easily confused. ''M. eglantina'' has a dark blotch or spot near the spire (''M. arabica'' lacks this blotch) and generally has a narrower outline and more elongate-cylindrical shell form. "Mauritia eglantina" '. ''Kwajalein Underwater.'' Retrieved 15 March 2022.
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
This sea snail dwells under boulder and stones, and also shelters in caverns of the outskirts of coral reefs. It lives in low intertidal zones to shallow sublittoral depths. ''Mauritia arabica'' is mainly active during the nocturnal period.
Human uses
''Mauritia arabica'' is collected for food by locals in many areas. The shell is commonly used in
shellcraft
Shellcraft, also known as shell craft, is the craft of making decorative objects, or of decorating surfaces, using seashells. The craft includes the design and creation of small items such as shell jewelry and figurines made from shells; middle-si ...
.
Gallery
File:Wyst-arabica.jpg, A map of the distribution of ''Mauritia arabica''
File:Arabian Cowry1.jpg, ''Mauritia arabica'' '' in situ''
File:Cypraea arabica shell.jpg, A shell of ''Mauritia arabica''. Notice the arrays of small labral teeth and the long aperture
File:Cypraea arabica f. niger.JPG, ''Mauritia arabica f. niger''
References
* Burgess, C.M. (1970). ''The Living Cowries''. AS Barnes and Co, Ltd. Cranbury, New Jersey