Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Family Cypraeidae Scientific name Ovatipsa chinensis | Phylum Mollusca Superfamily Cypraeoidea Genus Ovatipsa Rank Species | |
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Similar Lyncina carneola, Erosaria helvola, Cribrarula cribraria, Erronea caurica, Erosaria erosa | ||
Ovatipsa chinensis common name the Chinese cowrie, is a species of cowry, a sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
Contents
Description
The mantle of the animal is bright red, and it is completely covered by protruding short filaments. The shells of this species reach 25–50 millimetres (0.98–1.97 in) of length. The shells are smooth and elongate, light brown or yellowish in color with clear dots on the dorsum and a flat white base. With the subspecies variolaria (Lamarck, 1810), the basic color of the shell is light brown, with slight purple spots on the edges.
Distribution and Habitat
This species is found throughout the Indian Ocean and in the Central Pacific Ocean, in seas along Red Sea, East Africa, Australia, Indonesia and Philippines, in intertidal waters at 35–45 metres (115–148 ft) of depth . The Chinese cowry is active at night and hides under rocks in cracks and crevices during the day.
Subspecies
The following subspecies have been recognized :