Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
Talostolida pellucens (Melvill, 1888)
The cowrie Talostolida pellucens is commonly found in rocky and coral reefs.
The mantle and foot of this cowrie are bright reddish-orange in color, and the papillae are pointed and banded with gray.
Its bright red mantle, which the animal does not readily retract, is easily visible in the glow of a diver's flashlight.
This species is highly nocturnal, hiding during the day and usually seen in the wild at night, and can often be observed in pairs at night.
Like some other red mantled cowries, this species can automatically retract the rear portion of its foot when disturbed.
If you pick up a specimen crawling around with its mantle extended, the rear portion of the foot may drop off as the foot and mantle retract into the shell, much like the tail of a disturbed gecko or lizard.
Presumably this is to entice possible predators that caused the disturbance to pounce on the dropped foot piece, leaving the rest of the animal to crawl away
The shell of the kauri is pale fawn to pale bluish white and is crisscrossed by three intermittent brown bands, and there are brown marginal spots that sometimes extend up the sides.
Similar species: Talostolida teres (Gmelin, 1791)
Subspecies:Talostolida pellucens panamensis (Lorenz, 2002)
Talostolida pellucens pellucens (Melvill, 1888)
Synonyms
Blasicrura alisonae Burgess, 1983
Blasicrura pellucens (Melvill, 1888)
Blasicrura teres natalensis Heiman & Mienis, 2002
Cypraea alisonae Burgess, 1983
Cypraea tabescens var. pellucens Melvill, 1888
Cypraea teres pellucens Melvill, 1888
The cowrie Talostolida pellucens is commonly found in rocky and coral reefs.
The mantle and foot of this cowrie are bright reddish-orange in color, and the papillae are pointed and banded with gray.
Its bright red mantle, which the animal does not readily retract, is easily visible in the glow of a diver's flashlight.
This species is highly nocturnal, hiding during the day and usually seen in the wild at night, and can often be observed in pairs at night.
Like some other red mantled cowries, this species can automatically retract the rear portion of its foot when disturbed.
If you pick up a specimen crawling around with its mantle extended, the rear portion of the foot may drop off as the foot and mantle retract into the shell, much like the tail of a disturbed gecko or lizard.
Presumably this is to entice possible predators that caused the disturbance to pounce on the dropped foot piece, leaving the rest of the animal to crawl away
The shell of the kauri is pale fawn to pale bluish white and is crisscrossed by three intermittent brown bands, and there are brown marginal spots that sometimes extend up the sides.
Similar species: Talostolida teres (Gmelin, 1791)
Subspecies:Talostolida pellucens panamensis (Lorenz, 2002)
Talostolida pellucens pellucens (Melvill, 1888)
Synonyms
Blasicrura alisonae Burgess, 1983
Blasicrura pellucens (Melvill, 1888)
Blasicrura teres natalensis Heiman & Mienis, 2002
Cypraea alisonae Burgess, 1983
Cypraea tabescens var. pellucens Melvill, 1888
Cypraea teres pellucens Melvill, 1888
