Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Family Cypraeidae Scientific name Mauritia depressa | Phylum Mollusca Superfamily Cypraeoidea Genus Mauritia Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Mauritia histrio, Mauritia, Mauritia eglantina, Mauritia scurra, Mauritia maculifera | ||
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.
Contents
Description
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
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.