| Dark-toothed cowrie | |
|---|---|
| Cypraeovula fuscodentata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Cypraeoidea |
| Family: | Cypraeidae |
| Genus: | Cypraeovula |
| Species: | C. fuscodentata |
| Binomial name | |
| Cypraeovula fuscodentata (J. E. Gray, 1825) |
|
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Cypraea fuscodentata J. E. Gray, 1825 |
|
The dark-toothed cowrie (also spelled 'cowry') is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a predatory marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.[1]
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Two subspecies have been recognized :[1]
The dark-toothed cowrie is known off the southern African coast from the Cape Peninsula to Port Alfred, subtidally to at least 25m. The species is endemic to this region[2].
The dark-toothed cowrie has a medium-sized shell which may grow to 60mm in total length. The shell is smooth and caramel-coloured. It is flecked with pale blue or mauve, but in live specimens is usually covered with the mantle. The mantle is tawny and may be spotted with black. The shell's undersides, which are not visible in living animals, are strongly ribbed. The ribs are toffee-coloured[3],[4].
This animal is never common, but where found, is usually associated with black sponges[4].