©Marianne Dwyer: Calpurnus verrucosus at Vicki's Reef, Lizard Island. The shell is about 3.5 cm long but the esposed mantle is about 8 cm long.
Colours
Distinguishing features
This cowry is pure white, smoot and ovate, the base is flat and wide. The anterior and posterior extremities have a slight purple coloration, with a yellow circle at the edge of a depressed pustule (hence the Latin name of verrucosus ot this species).
The mantle of the living cowries is white and completely covered by small brown spots. Also the foot is white with dark dots and can be extended widely around the base of the shell. (Wikipedia)
Size
- From 1 cm to 4 cm (Length of shell)
Depth range
- From 20 m to 50 m
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Living specimens can mainly be encountered in daylight under soft corals, sponges and rocks. (Wikipedia)
Diet
They primarily feed on the polyps of Leather Corals (Sacrophyton and Lobophytum species, Alcyoniidae). At night they spread their mantles on the top of the soft coral and start grazing on the polyps. (Wikipedia)
Web resources
References
- Wilson, B. (1993). Australian Marine Shells Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia.