Thylacodes is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Vermetidae, the worm snails or worm shells. The species in this genus were previously placed in the genus Serpulorbis.
Unlike some other vermetids, the species in this genus have no operculum.
Thyca crystallina is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Eulimidae. It is one of nine species within the genus Thyca, all of which are parasitic on starfish in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. This species was first described in 1846 by the American conchologist Augustus Addison Gould as Pileopsis crystallina but was later transferred to Thyca.
Sea butterflies, scientific name Thecosomata (thecosomes, “case/shell-body”), are a taxonomic suborder of small pelagic swimming sea snails. These are holoplanktonic opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the informal group Opisthobranchia. They include some of the world’s most abundant gastropod species.
Terebra is a genus of small to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Terebridae, the auger snails.
The shells of these quite uncommon cowries reach on average 50–70 millimetres (2.0–2.8 in) of length, with a minimum size of 23 millimetres (0.91 in) and a maximum size of 105 millimetres (4.1 in). They are very variable in pattern and colour. The dorsum surface is smooth and shiny, the basic color is brown or yellowish brown, with three or four yellow or light brown transversal bands. The margins, the base and the teeth are completely dark brown or black. Also the teeth are dark brown, but the teeth spacing is clearer or white. In the living cowries the mantle is greyish or black, with long cylindrical papillae. Mantle and foot are well developed, with external antennae. The lateral flaps of the mantle may hide completely the shell surface and may be quickly retracted into the shell.
The shell size varies between 7.5 mm and 20 mm. The dorsum surface is usually light white or yellowish, with small brown spots.
Phalium bandatum, common name the banded bonnet, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cassidae.
There is one subspecies: Phalium bandatum exaratum (Reeve, 1848)
The size of an adult shell varies between 40 mm and 140 mm.
The shells of these quite common cowries reach on average 65–70 millimetres (2.6–2.8 in) of length, with a minimum size of 50 millimetres (2.0 in) and a maximum size of 120 millimetres (4.7 in). They are egg-shaped (hence the Latin name ovum, meaning egg). The surface of the shell is smooth, shiny and completely snow white, with a dark reddish-purple interior, visible through the wide and long aperture, which bears teeth on one side only. In the living cowries the mantle is black, with a pattern of small white spots in adults, while juveniles resemble some toxic nudibranchs of the genus Phyllidia owing to their orange yellow sensorial papillae. The lateral flaps of the mantle usually hide completely the white surface, but the mantle is quickly retracted into the shell opening when the cowry is disturbed.
Oliva oliva is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc of the family Olividae, the olive snails.
This is the type species of the genus Oliva.
Naticarius orientalis is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
Murex ternispina (also known as Murex Nigrospinosus) is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
The size of the shell varies between 40 mm and 90 mm.
The somewhat thick shell is ovate and inflated. It has a whitish ground color, varied and spotted with square spots, of a yellow more or less reddish, alternating upon the transverse ribs, with other spots of a dull white. The short spire is composed of six convex whorls, slightly flattened above, banded with ribs equally convex, wide, not distant, and divided by narrow, shallow furrows. The aperture is somewhat narrow, toothed upon both edges, colored yellow within. The outer lip is dilated, particularly towards the base, and forms externally a very thick convex margin, the external part of which is sharp, undulated, and its internal surface furnished with ten or twelve transverse, distant teeth, resembling folds. The inner lip consists of a smooth plate, convex and white, which partially covers the body of the shell. The columella presents a pretty deep emargination, above which are observed several transverse thick folds, and some others, less numerous, more oblique, and less distinctly marked.
The shells of these very common cowries reach on average 35–45 millimetres (1.4–1.8 in) of length, with a minimum size of 20 millimetres (0.79 in) and a maximum size of 100 millimetres (3.9 in). The shape is usually pear-shaped, the dorsum surface is smooth and shiny and may be pale or dark brown, with several small white spots. The margins and the extremities are clearer, while the base is generally white, with a wide sinuous aperture and long labial teeth. The margins show also numerous thin vertical whitish lines. The juvenile forms have two-three clearer trasversal bands on the shell dorsum. These shells are quite similar and may be confused with the shells of Lyncina camelopardalis. In the living cowries the mantle is grey-brown and almost transparent, with long whitish tree-shaped papillae. Mantle and foot are very well developed, usually with external antennae.
Leporicypraea mappa (previously known as Cypraea mappa), common name the map cowry, is a species of large sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
This is considered an economically important species in the Indo-West Pacific, where it is usually collected both for food and for shell trading.
Lambis scorpius, common name the scorpion conch or scorpion spider conch, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.
The size of an adult shell varies between 95 mm and 220 mm.
The length of the shell varies between 3.5 mm and 5 mm.
This is a very small species, light violet with a white transverse band around the body whorl. The shell contains 7-8 whorls, with two smooth, acuminate ones in the protoconch. The whorls are rotund and longitudinally crassicostate. The numerous lirae are tenuous. The violet aperture is irregularly sinuate. The outer lip is incrassate and shows four teeth on the inside region. The sinus is below the suture. The sinus is wide open and moderately deep.
Haminoea is a genus of medium-sized sea snails or bubble snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the family Haminoeidae, the haminoea bubble snails, part of the clade Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
Many species within this genus have green algae growing on their shells. The posterior tip of the headshield is bilobed, except in Haminoea elegans.
Gittenberger A. & Gittenberger E. (2005). A hitherto unnoticed adaptive radiation: epitoniid species (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae) associated with corals (Scleractinia).
Echineulima asthenosomae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eulimidae.
Diminovula culmen is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae, the ovulids, cowry allies or false cowries.
Cystiscus minutissimus is a species of snail from the Cystiscidae family. The scientific name of the species was first validly published in 1876 by Tenison-Woods.
This quite common species looks very similar to Cypraea tigris, but its shell is more slender and lighter. The shells of Cypraea pantherina reach on average 57–65 millimetres (2.2–2.6 in) of length, with a minimum size of 37 millimetres (1.5 in) and a maximum size of 118 millimetres (4.6 in). The shape of these shells is roughly elongate-pyriform. They are quite heavy for their size. The dorsum surface is smooth and shiny, usually whitish or pale brown, densely covered with dark brown circular spots. A blurred longitudinal reddish line runs along the midline where the two halves of the mantle meet in life.
The color of the body may vary from uniformly velvety black to brown. The mantle is broadly tuberculate. The borders of the mantle are delicate, notched in front and spreading out widely. The foot is small and oval. There are four or five lobes or bosses on the dorsal part of its body. There is an inhalant siphon extended in the middle of the front part of the body.The tentacles are triangular, granulated and are spotted with white.There are brown eyes at the base of the tentacles. The front part of the foot is grooved. There is a jaw and a radula with 48 teeth in the mouth. The body length is usually about 80 mm. The body length varies from 15–18 mm up to 10 cm. The width of the body is 8–10 mm (in body length 15–18 mm).
Casmaria ponderosa, common name the heavy bonnet, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cassidae, the helmet snails and bonnet snails.
The size of an adult shell varies between 30 mm and 100 mm.
