Monetaria caputdraconis
| Monetaria caputdraconis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dorsal view of a shell of Monetaria caputdraconis from Easter Island, anterior end towards the right | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: | Cypraeoidea |
| Family: | Cypraeidae |
| Subfamily: | Erosariinae |
| Genus: | Monetaria |
| Species: | M. caputdraconis |
| Binomial name | |
| Monetaria caputdraconis Melvill, 1888 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Monetaria caputdraconis, common name the "dragon's-head cowry", is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
Monetaria caputdraconis, side view
The common name of this species comes from its Latin name caputdraconis, meaning "the head of the dragon".
Description
The shell reaches about 15–40 millimetres (0.59–1.57 in) in length. It is pyriform with rather long teeth. The basic color of the shell is uniformly brown on its edge, with many yellowish small spots on the top of the dorsum.
Distribution
This endemic species is found in the sea along Easter Island and Sala y Gomez Island, where it replaces the similar Monetaria caputserpentis. It is mainly encountered under coral rocks in the intertidal reef.
References
- Lorenz F. & Hubert A. (2000) A guide to worldwide cowries. Edition 2. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 584 pp
External links