Monetaria

Cowrie ( Monetaria moneta )

Monetaria is a worm genus of the family of cowries ( Cypraeidae ).

Features

The size of the housing varies between 14 mm (with M. obvelata ) and 36 mm (with M. caputdraconis ). The shape is oval to rounded triangular and flattened. The pages on both sides of Munden are broadened thick and strong. The mouth of teeth are formed short, but strong in general. A fossula missing.

Occurrence, distribution and life

The species of this genus are found in the tropics of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. They come in shallow water on stony ground, mostly in coral reefs. They crawl at night with its wide crawling foot over stones and rocks and graze the algae. During the day they hide under rocks and in small cavities.

System

The genus Monetaria was erected by Franz Hermann Troschel 1863. Cypraea moneta type species is Linné, 1758. The genus is considered by some authors only as a subgenus of Cypraea. Also the systematic scope of the genus differs depending on the author. Here the systematic allocation of the species is shown as it is described by Felix Lorenz. Other taxonomists see in each individual case differently. The types caputserpentis and caputophidii example, are not at all biologists a species of the genus Monetaria, sometimes these are listed under the genus Erosaria. Cypraea caputserpentis is also the type species of the genus Ravitrona Iredale, 1930, which is not recognized in recent work as an independent genus. M. sublitorea is not considered by all authors as a separate species, but in some places only the annulus as a subspecies of M.. In all other species of the genus Monetaria Most will agree about this cause under Monetaria.

Species

  • Monetaria annulus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Monetaria caputdraconis Melvill, 1888
  • Monetaria caputophidii signs, 1927
  • Monetaria caputserpentis Linnaeus, 1758
  • Monetaria moneta Linnaeus, 1758
  • Monetaria obvelata Lamarck, 1810
  • Monetaria sublitorea Lorenz, 1998

Pictures

Monetaria caputserpentis

Monetaria moneta

Monetaria obvelata

Monetaria sublitorea

Caenogastropoda Sorbeoconcha Cypraeoidea
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