Zoila venusta
Cowrie | Cypraea venusta
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Best identified by the presence of five to seven teeth at one end of the inner margin of the aperture and three to four protuberances at the other. The canals are rounded rather than sharp-edged and protriuding. Specimens found in shallow water can also be recognised by general appearance, as they are oval-shaped, with a tan base and dark smudges across the shell. The species lives on the host sponge on which it feeds.
Information
Max Size: 9 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 16.1-23.3°C
Depth: 2-150 m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Frequent (13.1% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney