Barycypraea teulerei

Barycypraea teulerei
A shell of Barycypraea teulerei, dorsal view, anterior end towards the right
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Cypraeoidea
Family: Cypraeidae
Genus: Barycypraea
Species: B. teulerei
Binomial name
Barycypraea teulerei
(Cazenavette, 1846)
Synonyms
  • Bernaya teulerei (Cazanavette, B., 1846)
  • Cypraea hidalgoi Shaw, H.O.N., 1909)
  • Cypraea leucostoma Gaskoin, J.S., 1843
  • Cypraea teuleri Cazenavette, 1846
  • Cypraea teulerei Cazenavette, 1845 (Basionym)

Barycypraea teulerei, common name Teulere's cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.[1]

Description

The shells of this uncommon species of cowries (at one time it was considered very rare) reach on average 40–48 millimetres (1.6–1.9 in) in length, with a minimum size of 33 millimetres (1.3 in) and a maximum size of 67 millimetres (2.6 in). They are highly variable in pattern. The dorsum surface is not particularly smooth and shiny as is commonly the case in cowries. The basic color is light beige or cream, with irregular dark brown patches on the top and many light brown spots on the sides. The calloused margins are whitish, while the base is white, with a large sinuous aperture with only traces of labial teeth. Barycypraea teulerei is externally similar to Barycypraea fultoni and Muracypraea mus.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Oman, in the Hormuz Strait) and in the Indian Ocean, along Eritrea and Somalia.

Habitat

These cowries live in intertidal shallow waters, mainly on coral reef but also on sandy and muddy sea bed.

References

  1. Barycypraea teulerei Caz.. WoRMS (2009). Barycypraea teulerei Caz.. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=216737 on 23December 2012.

External links

A shell of Barycypraea teulerei, lateral view, anterior end towards the right
A shell of Barycypraea teulerei, lateral view, anterior end towards the right
A shell of Barycypraea teulerei, ventral view, anterior end towards the left
Barycypraea teulerei from Gulf of Oman
Shells of Bernaya fultoni (left) and Barycypraea teulerei (right)