Zonaria picta, common name the painted cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.[1]
| Zonaria picta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Shell of Zonaria picta (holotype) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Cypraeidae |
| Genus: | Zonaria |
| Species: | Z. picta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Zonaria picta (Gray, 1824)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
editThe length of the shell varies between 17 mm and 38 mm.
(Original description) The ovate oblong shell is whitish, with three obscure brown bands, and the back ornamented with numerous pale, bright brown specks, and scattered large spots. The spire is concave and covered. The base is rather convex and is purplish white. The margin is livid purple, ornamented with a few scattered large round purple brown spots, thickened, rounded, slightly extended at the extremities, which are violet brown on the upper part. The aperture is rather wide and is purplish white. The teeth of the inner lip are small, close, except the four anterior ones, which are larger and more distant. The teeth of the outer lip are larger, rather distant and blunt. The columella is rather convex and smooth. Within it is purple.[2]
Distribution
editThis marine species occurs off West Africa: Cape Verde Islands, Senegal to Gambia
References
edit- ^ Zonaria picta (Gray, 1824). WoRMS (2009). Zonaria picta (Gray, 1824). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=224863 on 5 June 2010 .
- ^ Gray, J.E. (1824–1828). Monograph on the Cypraeidae, a family of testaceous Mollusca. Zoological Journal. 1(1): 71-80, pl. 7
- Rolán E. (2005). Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda. ConchBooks. Hackenheim. ISBN 3-325-31973-2. 455 pp
External links
edit- Rochebrune, A.-T. (1884). Monographie des formes appartenant au genre Monetaria. Bulletin de la Société Malacologique de France. 1: 73-102
- Shaw, H. O. N. (1909). Notes on the genera Cypraea and Trivia. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 8: 288-313, pls 12-13
- Biolib.cz: image
