Barycypraea fultoni

Barycypraea fultoni massieri

Barycypraea fultoni is a rare cowrie, who lives in the western Indian Ocean. The rarity of the findings of the case of this worm points to a resident of the deep water. The species is up to 8 cm.

Barycypraea fultoni is South and East Africa at home in the sea off the coast.

Description

The case of this worm is greatly thickened, it becomes very difficult. The typical case sizes are at Barycypraea fultoni 54-80 mm, the largest shell found so far is 85 mm.

On top of the housing there is an irregular drawing of curved lines and brown patches of color that merges into the other, Plain white or gray -drawn areas without clear demarcation. On both sides of the elongated, narrow housing opening sits as with most cowries a number of teeth. This differs Barycypraea fultoni of the related species Barycypraea teulerei whose housing opening has smooth edges. The brown drawing on the housing over face continues at Barycypraea teulerei significantly from the rest of the chassis.

The type subspecies Barycypraea fultoni fultoni is brown in color between the teeth, the subspecies Barycypraea fultoni massieri has this coloring not, sometimes have a few brown spots on the edges to see. Barycypraea fultoni amorini differs by a greater number of brown spots around the housing opening of the other two styles.

Dissemination

Barycypraea fultoni occurs at depths between 60 and 250 meters. The subspecies Barycypraea fultoni amorimi and Barycypraea fultoni massieri originate mainly from the coasts of Mozambique, the nominate Barycypraea fultoni fultoni is only known from the coasts of eastern South Africa.

Research

Barycypraea fultoni was described by George Brettingham Sowerby III in 1903 as Cypraea fultoni first time. For a long time this cowrie as the only extant representative of its genus, which was originally set up for the extinct Barycypraea caputviperae. Only later Barycypraea teulerei was also placed in the genus Barycypraea, this assignment is, however, still controversial.

By 1970, only 25 copies had been found worldwide, mostly in the intestines of fish. Only through the ever-deepening trawling two cases have been collected and transported to days of the year in 1987 by the dredge of a Russian trawler off Mozambique. Live specimens could only be caught in recent times against South Africa. Because of their rarity, the case of collectors are much appreciated.

Subspecies

• Barycypraea fultoni amorimi Raybaudi, 1989
• Barycypraea fultoni fultoni ( Sowerby III, 1903) ( type - subtype )
• Barycypraea fultoni massieri Lorenz, 1991 ( This subspecies was considered later by their describer Felix Lorenz as a form of subspecies Barycypraea fultoni amorimi. )