Mauritia depressa

Mauritia depressa, common name the "depressed cowry" or the "honey cowry", is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.[1]

Mauritia depressa
Five views of a shell of 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
(Gray, 1824)
Synonyms[1]

Cypraea depressa Gray, 1824

Description
Shell of Mauritia depressa from Laccadives, anterior end towards the right

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 yellowish 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. The teeth along the aperture are dark brown on both lips.

Distribution
Distribution map of Mauritia depressa

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.

Habitat

These cowries mainly live in shallow water, in coral reefs or in lagoons near the wave-swept edges, from the intertidal zone to 20 metres (66 ft) depth, usually under coral slabs or rocks. They are active at night, when they feed on algal crests.

Subspecies
  • Mauritia depressa dispersa Schilder & Schilder, 1939

References
  1. Mauritia depressa (Gray, 1824). WoRMS (2009). Mauritia depressa (Gray, 1824). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=216871 on 12 October 2010 .

Footnotes
  • Verdcourt, B. (1954). The cowries of the East African Coast (Kenya, Tanganyika, Zanzibar and Pemba). Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society 22(4) 96: 129-144, 17 pls.
  • Poutiers, J.M. 1998 - Gastropods. p. 363 – 648.
  • Carpenter, K. E. and V. H. Niem. 1998. FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves, and gastropods. Rome, FAO.
  • Biolib
  • "Mauritia depressa depressa". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  • Sealife
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