Zoila decipiens
Encyclopedia
Zoila decipiens, common names the "humpback cowry" or "deceptive cowry", is a species
of sea snail
, a cowry
, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family
Cypraeidae
, the cowries. This shell got its Latin name decipiens, meaning deceiving, from the fact that its damaged holotype was wrongly classified as Zoila thersites.
. The shells have been most frequently found by divers from an area SW of Broome, (Australia).
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....
, a cowry
Cowry
Cowry, also sometimes spelled cowrie, plural cowries, is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries...
, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cypraeidae
Cypraeidae
Cypraeidae, common name the cowries , is a taxonomic family of small to large sea snails. These are marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies.-Shell description:...
, the cowries. This shell got its Latin name decipiens, meaning deceiving, from the fact that its damaged holotype was wrongly classified as Zoila thersites.
Description
These quite uncommon shells reach about 32–70 mm (1.3–2.8 ) of length. The shell is rather heavy, its shape is globular, almost inflated. Dorsum is distinctly arched. Its color is pale brown and more or less densely covered with brown irregular dark brown spots, while the dorsal line is lighter and usually clearly visible. Dorsal surface is separated from the edges by a dark brown frame. The base is dark brown and almost flat, with angled edges. The mouth is narrow, the short teeth are darker than the base and are present on both lips.Distribution
This endemic species occurs in the sea along North West AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The shells have been most frequently found by divers from an area SW of Broome, (Australia).
Habitat
These large colourful cowries live in cold deep water, feeding on sponges in crevices and rocks at a maximum depth of 60–70 m (196.9–229.7 ), but they are more usually found at a depth of 15–35 m (49.2–114.8 ).Subspecies
- Zoila decipiens decipiens Smith, 1880
- Zoila decipiens suprasinum Lorenz, 2002