''Cypraea leucodon'',
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 ...
the white-toothed cowry, is a rare
cowry, 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 ...
, or
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.
This species can be found from the
Philippines and
New Guinea to the
Indian Ocean.
History
Until the late 1960s, this species was known from only two specimens: one in the National Museum of London, England, and one in the
Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the third and fourth specimens were found.
By the 1980s, they were being found with regular frequency, and were available on the market for about $5000. By 2000, they were "common" enough to be available for about $1500 in "gem" condition, and less than $1000 for lower quality specimens.
* ''Cypraea leucodon leucodon'' forma ''escotio''. This
form
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data
...
was described in 2004.
[(2004) ''Visaya']
1(1)
Description
The color of the shell of the white-toothed cowry varies from a chocolate-brown to
butterscotch with whitish spots of varying size and degrees of contrast. The dorsal mantle stripe is very distinctive in this species.
The living animal has a mottled (blackish-brown and light tan) mantle with short and long colorless papillae, a blackish siphon and tan foot. A number of subspecies and forms have been described including: ''C. leucodon leucodon'' (pyriform nominate); ''angioyna'' (slight tooth differences); ''tenuidon'' (smaller, heavily spotted and rounder); and ''escotoi'' (small, dark and very round).
Bibliography
Cowrie Genetic Database Project
References
External links
On-line articles with ''Cypraea leucodon'' in the HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS (1960-1994)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5200284
Cypraeidae
Gastropods described in 1827
Taxa named by William Broderip