Zoila decipiens

Zoila decipiens
	A lateral view of a shell of Zoila decipiens from NW Australia. Anterior end towards the right.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Littorinimorpha
Family:	Cypraeidae
Genus:	Zoila
Species:	Z. decipiens
Binomial name
	Zoila decipiens; Smith, 1880
Synonyms
	Cypraea decipiens E. A. Smith, 1880 ;

Zoila decipiens, common names the "humpback cowry" or "deceptive cowry", is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. This shell got its Latin name decipiens, meaning deceiving, from the fact that its damaged holotype was wrongly classified as Zoila thersites.

Description

These quite uncommon snails reach about 32–70 millimetres (1.3–2.8 in) of length. The shell is rather heavy, its shape is globular, almost inflated. Dorsum is distinctly arched. Its color is pale brown and more or less densely covered with brown irregular dark brown spots, while the dorsal line is lighter and usually clearly visible. Dorsal surface is separated from the edges by a dark brown frame. The base is dark brown and almost flat, with angled edges. The mouth is narrow, the short teeth are darker than the base and are present on both lips.

Distribution

This endemic species occurs in the sea along North West Australia. The shells have been most frequently found by divers from an area SW of Broome, (Australia).

Habitat

These large colourful cowries live in cold deep water, feeding on sponges in crevices and rocks at a maximum depth of 60–70 metres (200–230 ft), but they are more usually found at a depth of 15–35 metres (49–115 ft).

Subspecies

Zoila decipiens decipiens Smith, 1880
Zoila decipiens suprasinum Lorenz, 2002

References

Lorenz F. & Hubert A. (2000) A guide to worldwide cowries. Edition 2. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 584 pp

External links

Biolib
"Zoila decipiens decipiens". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
Cowries
Cypraeidae
Marine Species WoRMS