| Mauritia depressa | |
|---|---|
| Mauritia depressa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: | Cypraeoidea |
| Family: | Cypraeidae |
| Genus: | Mauritia |
| Species: | M. depressa |
| Binomial name | |
| Mauritia depressa (J. E. Gray, 1824) |
|
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Cypraea depressa J. E. Gray, 1824 |
|
Mauritia depressa, the 'Depressed/Honey Cowry', is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.[1]
Contents |
These quite rare shells reach on average 35–42 millimetres (1.4–1.7 in) of length, with a maximum size of 61 millimetres (2.4 in) and a minimum size of 23 millimetres (0.91 in). The dorsal color pattern varies from yellowis brown to dark brown, with distinct almost circular clear spots. The edges usually are pale bluish or yellowish, with several brown dots. The base is definitely flattened, its colour may be white, pale brown or pale bluish. Teeth of the aperture are dark brown on both lips.
This species occurs in the Central Pacific Ocean and in the Indian Ocean along Chagos, the Comores, Kenya, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Réunion, Tanzania, Lakkadiven Islands, Timor, Philippines and French Polynesia.
These cowries are mainly living in shallow waters, in coral reef or in lagoon near the wave swept edges, from intertidal zone up to 20 metres (66 ft) of depth, usually under coral slabs or rocks. They are active at night, when they feed on algal crests.