Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Family Cypraeidae Rank Species | Phylum Mollusca Superfamily Cypraeoidea Genus Lyncina | |
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Similar Lyncina sulcidentata, Lyncina ventriculus, Lyncina leviathan, Mauritia scurra, Lyncina carneola | ||
Lyncina schilderorum, common names the sandy cowry or Schilder's cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. This species was named in honor of Franz and Maria Schilder, two German cowry biologists (hence the Latin name Schindlerorum, meaning Schilder's).
Contents
Description
The shells of these quite uncommon cowries reach on average 28–33 millimetres (1.1–1.3 in) of length, with a minimum size of 22 millimetres (0.87 in) and a maximum size of 43 millimetres (1.7 in). The surface is smooth and shiny, their basic color is brown-orange, with 3-5 wide light blue transversal bands. The base is whitish or bluish, with fine white teeth. The shell is quite similar to Lyncina sulcidentata, Lyncina carneola and Lyncina ventriculus. In the living cowries mantle is whitish, with long tree-shaped sensorial papillae. Mantle and foot are well developed, with external antennae. The lateral flaps of the mantle may hide completely the shell surface and may be quickly retracted into the shell opening.
Distribution
This species occurs in the northern and central Pacific Ocean, in the seas along the Philippines, Melanesia, Guam, Micronesia, Polynesia, Tuamotu Islands and Hawaii, excluding the Galapagos.
Habitat
These cowries mainly live in tropical intertidal waters, usually at 2–10 metres (6 ft 7 in–32 ft 10 in) of depth, hidden under rocks or coral slabs during the day. At night they can be found on the reef or small caves, feeding on sponges or corals.