Neobernaya spadicea

Cypraea spadicea
A live Cypraea spadicea, in situ, mantle partly extended, head end to the right
An apertural view of a shell of the species, anterior end to the left
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda

clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha

Superfamily: Cypraeoidea
Family: Cypraeidae
Genus: Neobernaya
Species: N. spadicea
Binomial name
Neobernaya spadicea
(Swainson, 1823)
Ventral view of live specimen of Neobernaya spadicea crawling on aquarium glass, anterior end to the bottom
Dorsal view of a shell of Neobernaya spadicea, anterior end to the top

Neobernaya spadicea, previously known as Cypraea spadicea, common name the chestnut cowrie, is a species of temperate sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

Distribution

This species is a temperate cowry which occurs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It is relatively common in Southern California, particularly around the Channel Islands. It does occur from Monterey, California, through Southern California, and south to Cedros Island, in Baja California, Mexico, but north of Santa Barbara, California, it is not often found.

Shell description

The adult shell of this species ranges in size from 40 to 65 mm. The name "chestnut cowry" come from a large patch of a rich chestnut brown on the dorsum of the shell, ringed with a darker brown, against a white background.

Habitat

This species lives on exposed rocky shores in the very low intertidal and subtidal zones. It is found on overhanging rock ledges and on other somewhat sheltered rock surfaces.

References

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cypraea spadicea.