Cypraea
Cowrie ( Cypraea tigris )
Cypraea is a genus of the family of cowries ( Cypraeidae ) and only one of two types, firstly, the very famous Cypraea tigris and on the other, rarer Cypraea pantherina. The range of the species C. tigris extends from the east coast of Africa over the entire Indian Ocean to the South Pacific, the species C. pantherina is located exclusively in the Red Sea.
Description
Species of this genus are relatively large and heavy. The drawing of the housing varies greatly. However, points are always present. In some individuals, there are very few, in some so many that the body ( except the bottom) is completely covered. The underside, including the teeth, is always white. The mantle of the living animal is shimmering in the two species and shows a zebra -like pattern.
Species
- Cypraea pantherina Solander, 1786
- Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, 1758
System
As Linnaeus 1758 the genus Cypraea described, he led a number of ways that could be subsumed by his understanding there. This view is still quite common and you will find the simplified allocation in many places again, only it is no longer appropriate. Researchers have then found out a lot in the 250 years of the habitats, behavior, and the specific characteristics of the various snails and proposed new classifications. These proposals are never fixed, it is each author is free to use its own system and publish it. One have all but serious recent observations in common, they do not come out with only one genus, with the result that the new genus Cypraea only includes a few species. Since tigris and pantherina are always to be counted, they will be highlighted and listed here.
No longer appear not in the list of species annulus, spurca, vitellus and lynx which, although mentioned in a classification but with another already. For this you will find at the second viewing the types algoensis, ingloria, amphitales, fuscorubra, binostrata and phil marti before that are unknown at the first classification again. This leads to irritation.
Therefore, at this point. The indication that the species shown here Cypraea leans against a system that determines the kinship relations by means of DNA analysis and not by mere inspection