Zonaria picta

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
	Cypraea picta J. E. Gray, 1824 superseded combination; Monetaria atava Rochebrune, 1884 junior subjective synonym;

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]

Description

The 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

This marine species occurs off West Africa: Cape Verde Islands, Senegal to Gambia

References

^ 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

[WoRMS-1] 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 .

[2] Gray, J.E. (1824–1828). Monograph on the Cypraeidae, a family of testaceous Mollusca. Zoological Journal. 1(1): 71-80, pl. 7

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