Mauritia arabica
Mauritia arabica, common name the Arabian cowry, is a species of cowry, a sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognized:- Mauritia arabica arabica : represented as Mauritia arabica Mauritia arabica asiatica F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939
- Mauritia arabica grayana Schilder, 1930: synonym of Mauritia grayana Schilder, 1930
- Mauritia arabica immanis Schilder & Schilder, 1938Mauritia arabica khanhhoaensis Thach, 2019
- Mauritia arabica merguina Lorenz & Huber, 1993: synonym of accepted as Mauritia arabica asiatica F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939 says it might be a separate subspecies Mauritia arabica ngocngai Thach, 2018Mauritia arabica nhatrangensis Thach, 2018Mauritia arabica phanrangensis Thach, 2020Mauritia arabica thachi F. Huber, 2018
Shell description
The maximum shell length of this species is 105 mm, but more commonly in only reaches 80 mm.The shell outline is oblong or nearly elliptical. The spire is barely distinguishable dorsally. As is the case in other Cypraeidae, the aperture of the shell is very narrow, and relatively long. Both the inner and outer lips are ornamented with arrays of small teeth. The dorsal side of the shell is convex or bent, and never depressed. The dorsal mantle groove is dissimilar to the shells general color pattern, and thus easily perceivable. The lateral margins are calloused, mainly towards both the posterior and anterior ends. The ventral side of the shell is typically flattened, and sometimes slightly concave.
As is also the case in the shell of most other Cypraeidae snails, the shell surface is notably effulgent, as if it had been deliberately polished. The color is generally cream to light fawn dorsally, with shades of brown. The ventral side of the shell is colored cream to grey. The labral teeth are reddish brown and white towards the columella. The common name Arabian cowry is based on a dense and irregular pattern of thin longitudinal brown lines which are sometimes interrupted by empty spaces, giving an appearance that is considered to be similar to that of Arabic script.
Mauritia arabica and its close relative Mauritia eglantina have very similar shells which can be easily confused. M. eglantina has a dark blotch or spot near the spire and generally has a narrower outline and more elongate-cylindrical shell form.