Cypraeidae

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Cypraeidae
Cypraea chinensis with mantle fully extended.
Cypraea chinensis with mantle fully extended.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Superorder: Caenogastropoda
Order: Sorbeoconcha
Suborder: Hypsogastropoda
Superfamily: Cypraeoidea
Family: Cypraeidae
Genera

See list.


Cypraeidae, common name the cowries (singular: cowry), is a taxonomic family of small to large sea snails. These are marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies.

For more than 200 years, every species in the family Cypraeidae was in the genus Cypraea, but recently the cowries have been divided into many different genera.

[edit] Shell description

Cypraeidae have adult shells which are very rounded, almost like an egg; they do not look like a typical gastropod shell. In virtually all of the species in the family Cypraeidae, the shells are extremely smooth and shiny. This is because in the living animal, the shell is nearly always fully covered with the mantle.

Usually no spire is visible in the fully adult shell, and there is a long, very narrow, aperture which is lined with "teeth". This arrangement makes the adult shell almost impossible for predators to enter or reach into.

Juvenile cowry shells are not at all similar to adult cowry shells. The juveniles of cowries perhaps more closely resemble the shells of some bubble snails in the order Cephalaspidea.

Cowries have no operculum.

Wikispecies has information related to:

[edit] Taxonomy

  • Subfamily Gisortinae Schilder, 1927 (former invalid synonym Archicypraeinae Schilder, 1930 )
    • † Palaeocypraea
    • † Archicypraea
    • † Mandolina
    • Proadusta
    • Nesiocypraea
    • Ipsa
  • Subfamily Erosariinae Schilder, 1924
    • Tribe Staphylaeini
      • Staphylaea
      • Cryptocypraea
    • Tribe Erosariini
      • Monetaria
      • Naria
  • Subfamily Umbiliinae
    • Umbilia
  • Subfamily Cypraeinae Rafinesque, 1815
    • Tribe Cypraeini
      • † Cypraeorbis
      • Siphocypraea
      • Cypraea Rafinesque, 1815
    • Tribe Mauritiini Steadman & Cotton, 1946
      • Macrocypraea
      • Mauritia
  • Subfamily Bernayinae
    • Tribe Bernayini
      • † Bernaya
      • † Afrocypraea
      • Barycypraea
      • Zoila
    • † Tribe Gisortiini
      • † Gisortia
      • † Vicetia
  • Subfamily Luriinae Schilder, 1932
    • Tribe Luriini
      • Luria
      • Talparia
    • Tribe Austrocypraeini
      • † Miolyncina
      • Trona
      • Annepona
      • Chelycypraea
      • Austrocypraea
      • Arestorides
      • Lyncina
  • Subfamily Pustulariinae Gill, 1871
    • Tribe Pustulariini
      • Pustularia
    • Tribe Pseudozonariini
      • Pseudozonaria
      • Neobernaya
    • Tribe Zonariini
      • † Zonarina
      • Schilderia
      • Zonaria
    • Tribe Cypraeovulini
      • † Notoluponia
      • Notocypraea
      • Cypraeovula
  • Subfamily Erroneinae Schilder, 1924
    • Tribe Erroneini
      • Austrasiatica
      • Palmulacypraea
      • Erronea
      • Purpuradusta
      • Ficadusta
      • Blasicrura
    • Tribe Bistolidini
      • Bistolida
      • Cribrarula
      • Palmadusta